The author of the present paper made a special assessment on the contribution of Prof. Tao Shiyan to the study of heavy rainfall in China in 1998. Titled “East Asian Monsoon and Torrential Rain in China“, the assessment was published in the volume of the Collected Papers to coincide with Prof. Tao's 80th birthday. Although he passed away in 2012, Prof. Tao's scientific wisdom and concepts continue to enlighten his successors. His valuable heritage in the study of heavy rainfall in China has exerted a profound influence on research and operational development for past and present generations and will continue to influence future research on this topic.
The present paper further evaluates Prof. Tao's contributions to the study of heavy rainfall in China in the context of recent research achievements in this area, with a particular focus on dynamic and thermal conditions as well as related mechanisms. The paper is structured with the following six sections: (1) seasonal abrupt change and its effect on the onset of the Meiyu season in China, (2) multiple-scale interaction in the occurrence of heavy rainfall, (3) the impact of the warm and moist monsoon conveyor on excessively heavy rainfall in northern China, (4) the role of the upper-level jet in heavy rainfall, (5) physical conditions for the occurrence of heavy rainfall and severe convective storms, and (6) the effect of topography on heavy rainfall.