Solar activity modulates the El Niño‐Southern Oscillation‐induced precipitation anomalies over southern China in early spring

Abstract The present study identifies an evident solar cycle modulation upon the spatial pattern of the El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) impact on the southern China precipitation in early spring (February–March). During high/low solar activity (HS/LS) years, the significant positive correlation between the wintertime Niño 3.4 index and the precipitation in the following early spring mainly locates at the southeastern China/Yangtze River Valley (SEC/YRV). Our analysis also suggests that the precipitation anomalies show asymmetries between ENSO warm and cold events under both solar phases. In HS years, the ENSO warm events‐related rainfall anomalies over the southern China are weak, but during the ENSO cold events significant dry anomalies appear at the SEC region. In LS years, significant wet anomalies over the YRV region are found during the ENSO warm events, whilst the rainfall anomalies are insignificant for the ENSO cold events. These modulations on precipitation are mediated by the changes in the ENSO‐associated anomalous western North Pacific anticyclone/cyclone, which may be attributed to the solar modulations on the ENSO‐associated sea surface temperature anomalies. Our results highlight that the level of solar activity should be taken into account when ENSO is used as a predictor for the precipitation over East Asia. [Correction added on 18 June 2021, after first online publication: The text for the abstract and graphical abstract were interchanged in the original‐published article. This updated version rectifies the error.]