Rain-Induced Surface Sensible Heat Flux Reduces Monsoonal Rainfall Over India

Precipitation can induce a surface sensible heat flux since the raindrops are generally cooler than the surface. This precipitation-induced sensible heat flux (Q_P) is typically ignored in models. However, during heavy rainfall, Q_P can be large and may not be negligible such as over India during the summer monsoon season. We provide the first results of incorporating Q_P in a simulation that shows ∼2% (∼5%) reduction in precipitation over India compared to the simulation without Q_P during a monsoonal active phase in 2017 (2018). This reduction was primarily due to a reduction in vertical advection of moisture. Additionally, Q_P modified the spatial distribution of precipitation with 40% of the geographical area encountering alterations of at least 20% in precipitation. This change in precipitation distribution across the region can have important implications for regional agriculture and irrigation practices. Changes in the partitioning of surface heat flux components due to Q_P is also discussed.