Abstract:Based on the 711 digital weather radar data of 71 linear MCS cases in Weibei area of Shaanxi Province between May and September from 2000 to 2006, these linear MCS systems were classified into four categories (trailing stratiform (TS), leading stratiform (LS), parallel stratiform (PS) and broken linear MCS). Ｔhe characteristics of each MCS class were statistically analyzed. The results show that linear MCS has the greater frequency of changes, and the broken linear MCS occurs in the most cases; the mean scale of TS MCS is the greatest and that of PS MCS is the least; the dominant moving direction of linear MCS is southeast; the moving speed of linear MCS in different direction has large differences and the mean moving speed of TS MCS which moves southeastward is the fastest. On the other hand, the TS MCS has the most hail probability (62%), and tends to have more severe weather reports, areal hail, heavy disasters than other kinds of MCS.