Local mechanisms for global daytime, nighttime, and compound heatwaves

Abstract Heatwaves impose serious impacts on ecosystems, human health, agriculture, and energy consumption. Previous studies have classified heatwaves into independent daytime, independent nighttime, and compound daytime-nighttime types, and examined the long-term changes in the three types. However, the underlying mechanisms associated with the variations in different heatwave types remain poorly understood. Here we present the first investigation of the local physical processes associated with the daytime, nighttime, and compound heatwaves over the global land during 1979–2020. The results show that three heatwave types occur frequently and increasingly in most regions worldwide. Nighttime and compound heatwaves exhibit stronger increases in both frequency (the yearly number of the events) and fraction (the ratio of the yearly number of one heatwave type to the total yearly number of all types) than daytime heatwaves. Composite diagnostic analyses of local meteorological variables suggest that daytime heatwaves are associated with increased solar radiation under dry conditions and reduced cloud cover and humidity under a clear sky. In contrast, nighttime heatwaves are typically accompanied by moist conditions with increases in cloud fraction, humidity, and longwave radiation at night. These synoptic conditions for daytime and nighttime heatwaves are combined to contribute to compound heatwaves. Local divergences and moisture fluxes responsible for different heatwaves are further revealed. Positive moisture divergence anomalies are seen in most land areas for daytime and compound heatwaves, while they mainly appear in low latitudes for nighttime heatwaves. Our research provides a comprehensive understanding of the local mechanisms of different heatwave types, informing future risks and impact assessments.