Hierarchical multimodel ensemble probabilistic forecasts for precipitation over East Asia

Abstract Bayesian model averaging (BMA) and ensemble model output statistics (EMOS), as two state‐of‐the‐art approaches, were applied to improve the prediction skills of 24‐h accumulated precipitation over East Asia with lead days of 1–7 days. The multimodel ensemble precipitation probabilistic fore...

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Main Authors: Luying Ji, Xiefei Zhi, Qixiang Luo, Yan Ji
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-03-01
Series:Meteorological Applications
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/met.70035
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author Luying Ji
Xiefei Zhi
Qixiang Luo
Yan Ji
author_facet Luying Ji
Xiefei Zhi
Qixiang Luo
Yan Ji
author_sort Luying Ji
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Bayesian model averaging (BMA) and ensemble model output statistics (EMOS), as two state‐of‐the‐art approaches, were applied to improve the prediction skills of 24‐h accumulated precipitation over East Asia with lead days of 1–7 days. The multimodel ensemble precipitation probabilistic forecast experiments were constructed using ensemble forecasts from multiple ensemble prediction systems, revealing that the standard BMA (s‐BMA) and the standard EMOS (s‐EMOS) outperformed the raw ensemble forecasts. In comparison with the raw ensembles, the improvement by the s‐BMA model increases as lead days increase, while the s‐EMOS model consistently enhances prediction accuracy by around 30% for all lead days. Overall, the s‐EMOS model demonstrates superior performance compared with the s‐BMA model, which struggles with forecasting heavy daily precipitation exceeding 25 mm. Accordingly, the hierarchical BMA (h‐BMA) model is introduced in this study, designed for different precipitation classifications. Compared with the s‐BMA model, the h‐BMA model notably improves the probabilistic forecast skill for all precipitation thresholds throughout East Asia, particularly for heavy precipitation events. Moreover, the h‐BMA model also improves the forecast reliability across various precipitation thresholds. A hierarchical EMOS (h‐EMOS) model is also developed to validate the benefits of the precipitation classifications and further improves the forecast accuracy as expected. The prediction probability density functions of the hierarchical models are much sharper and more concentrated than those of the standard models. In general, the improvement in precipitation probabilistic forecast skill of the h‐BMA model relative to the s‐BMA model surpasses that of the h‐EMOS model compared with the s‐EMOS model.
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spelling doaj-art-f4eb09fe754b49af9caf2f7db233d2e72025-08-20T03:15:05ZengWileyMeteorological Applications1350-48271469-80802025-03-01322n/an/a10.1002/met.70035Hierarchical multimodel ensemble probabilistic forecasts for precipitation over East AsiaLuying Ji0Xiefei Zhi1Qixiang Luo2Yan Ji3Nanjing Innovation Institute for Atmospheric Sciences Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences–Jiangsu Meteorological Service Nanjing ChinaKey Laboratory of Meteorological Disasters, Ministry of Education (KLME) / Collaborative Innovation Center on Forecast and Evaluation of Meteorological Disasters (CIC‐FEMD) Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology Nanjing ChinaUnit No. 31153 of PLA Nanjing ChinaSchool of Atmosphere and Remote Sensing Wuxi University Wuxi ChinaAbstract Bayesian model averaging (BMA) and ensemble model output statistics (EMOS), as two state‐of‐the‐art approaches, were applied to improve the prediction skills of 24‐h accumulated precipitation over East Asia with lead days of 1–7 days. The multimodel ensemble precipitation probabilistic forecast experiments were constructed using ensemble forecasts from multiple ensemble prediction systems, revealing that the standard BMA (s‐BMA) and the standard EMOS (s‐EMOS) outperformed the raw ensemble forecasts. In comparison with the raw ensembles, the improvement by the s‐BMA model increases as lead days increase, while the s‐EMOS model consistently enhances prediction accuracy by around 30% for all lead days. Overall, the s‐EMOS model demonstrates superior performance compared with the s‐BMA model, which struggles with forecasting heavy daily precipitation exceeding 25 mm. Accordingly, the hierarchical BMA (h‐BMA) model is introduced in this study, designed for different precipitation classifications. Compared with the s‐BMA model, the h‐BMA model notably improves the probabilistic forecast skill for all precipitation thresholds throughout East Asia, particularly for heavy precipitation events. Moreover, the h‐BMA model also improves the forecast reliability across various precipitation thresholds. A hierarchical EMOS (h‐EMOS) model is also developed to validate the benefits of the precipitation classifications and further improves the forecast accuracy as expected. The prediction probability density functions of the hierarchical models are much sharper and more concentrated than those of the standard models. In general, the improvement in precipitation probabilistic forecast skill of the h‐BMA model relative to the s‐BMA model surpasses that of the h‐EMOS model compared with the s‐EMOS model.https://doi.org/10.1002/met.70035Bayesian model averagingensemble model output statisticshierarchical multimodel ensemble forecastsprobabilistic forecastsshort‐to‐medium‐range precipitation forecasts
spellingShingle Luying Ji
Xiefei Zhi
Qixiang Luo
Yan Ji
Hierarchical multimodel ensemble probabilistic forecasts for precipitation over East Asia
Meteorological Applications
Bayesian model averaging
ensemble model output statistics
hierarchical multimodel ensemble forecasts
probabilistic forecasts
short‐to‐medium‐range precipitation forecasts
title Hierarchical multimodel ensemble probabilistic forecasts for precipitation over East Asia
title_full Hierarchical multimodel ensemble probabilistic forecasts for precipitation over East Asia
title_fullStr Hierarchical multimodel ensemble probabilistic forecasts for precipitation over East Asia
title_full_unstemmed Hierarchical multimodel ensemble probabilistic forecasts for precipitation over East Asia
title_short Hierarchical multimodel ensemble probabilistic forecasts for precipitation over East Asia
title_sort hierarchical multimodel ensemble probabilistic forecasts for precipitation over east asia
topic Bayesian model averaging
ensemble model output statistics
hierarchical multimodel ensemble forecasts
probabilistic forecasts
short‐to‐medium‐range precipitation forecasts
url https://doi.org/10.1002/met.70035
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AT qixiangluo hierarchicalmultimodelensembleprobabilisticforecastsforprecipitationovereastasia
AT yanji hierarchicalmultimodelensembleprobabilisticforecastsforprecipitationovereastasia