THE QBO SIGNAL IN MONTHLY PRECIPITATION FIELDS OVER EUROPE

Areal monthly precipitation totals of 24 West and Central European regions and of 74 regions of the European part of the former USSR are studied in respect to the westerly and easterly phases of the QBO for the longest available period from 1953 to the 1980s. A significant QBO signal has been detected in September and October in the region of the British Isles, in the Central European region and in Byelorussia (ih the easterly phase more precipitation and its lower variability in September and higher variability in October), but also in small region of the south Ukraine in August and in October. Regions of the eastern Ukraine and adjoined regions of Russia had the significant QBO signal in May (more precipitation and its prevalent lower variability in the westerly phase). The observed effects are explained by circulation differences in the westerly and easterly phases of the QBO.