Typhoon Rainbands over Southern China Cleanse Polluted Air and Sustain Marine-Like Warm-Rain Clouds

We collected airborne data using cloud and aerosol probes on a King Air during three flights over southern China on 13–14 October 2020, supplemented by radar, surface PM₂.₅, and ERA5 back trajectories. After rainfall, PM₂.₅ fell by ~75–80% while low‑level trajectories remained continental, proving precipitation scavenging; aloft, marine trajectories also contributed.

Clouds showed lower droplet concentrations, larger effective radii, and much earlier warm‑rain initiation. These observations support a positive feedback: rain removes aerosols, reduces droplet numbers, accelerates coalescence, and sustains warm rain over land. Data are available upon reasonable request.