Urbanization Enhances Inner‐Core Rainfall During Tropical Cyclone Landfall

Abstract

Abstract How urbanization modulates precipitation in landfalling tropical cyclones (LTCs) remains poorly understood. Previous studies disagree on whether the mechanism is primarily dynamical or thermodynamic, particularly within the inner core under intense wind–rain conditions. Using high‐resolution simulations and storm‐relative framework, we quantified the effects of urban land‐cover change (ULCC) and anthropogenic heat (AH) on peak inner‐core precipitation during Typhoon Bebinca's 2024 landfall in Shanghai. Results showed that ULCC induced surface roughness weakened near‐surface tangential winds while strengthening radial inflow and low‐level convergence, increasing precipitation by 13.8% relative to the cropland scenario. Over cropland, AH alone increased precipitation by 19.7% relative to the non‐AH scenario, whereas in the presence of urban surface, AH enhanced thermodynamic instability and deep convection, increasing precipitation by 29.8%, demonstrating that AH enhances rainfall independently of urban surfaces, while ULCC further enhances this response. In other words, urbanization enhances extreme LTC rainfall through thermal–dynamic effects and their coupling.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Geophysical Research Letters, 2026 · DOI ↗