The effects of the liquid water content (LWC) and mixing ratio of hydrometeors in the simulation of convective precipitation in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, are investigated using a three-dimensional convective rainstorm model. The microphysical processes of warm and cold clouds are considered into microphysical parameterization. The warm-cloud process is dominated by the combined effects of condensation and drop coalescence. The cold-cloud process is initiated mainly by production of graupel, and the microphysical parameterizations are used to predict the mixing ratio of cloud droplets, rain, ice crystals, snow, and graupel. The simulations results show that 80% rainfall is derived from warm cloud microphysical processes, and the rest is produced by cold cloud microphysical processes. The mixed phase microphysical process can invigorate the production of convective rainfall and enhance the liquid water content (LWC). In addition, the vertical distribution of LWC is mainly concentrated at the height isotherms of −10 to −20 °C in precipitation and the concentration area of LWC matches the distribution range of graupel particles. However, the growth of graupel particles depend on the microphysical processes of nucleation and propagation between rain and graupel particles (NUrg) and collision and coalescence between cloud droplets and graupel (CLcg), in which NUrg is a major source of graupel particles and the contribution of the process accounts for 77% of the amount of graupel particles.

Multiple wind retrieval algorithms are performed to retrieve wind fields, based on which radar reflectivity is extrapolated to implement nowcasting. The frequently used nowcasting algorithm COTREC (continuity of tracking radar echo by correlation), based on the reflectivity and wind retrieval algorithm GVAD (gradient velocity azimuth display), based on radial velocity are used. The wind fields retrieved by the two methods are taken as motion vectors to give a 60-min forecast of radar reflectivity. Comparison analysis on precipitation events shows that GVAD can be used in operational nowcasting as COTREC performs and for stable precipitation duration, COTREC gives better nowcasting results than GVAD, while, for evolving precipitation duration, GVAD gives better nowcasting results than COTREC.