Abstract:In terms of the observed data and NCEP 1°×1° reanalysis data, the vertical characteristics of different feature torrential rain over Huanghuai Basin and Southwest China on 29 August 2009 are studied. Results show that the torrential rain over above two areas happened in the same circulation background, the former belongs to the stable heavy precipitation ahead of or rear of the front and the latter is of convective heavy precipitation in the warm area before the front. They have distinct differences in the vertical distribution of vorticity, divergence, jet stream at higher and lower levels, vertical meridional circulation and moist potential vorticity (MPV). For the stable heavy precipitation, cold trough at higher levels induced the vortex at lower levels and high MPV was transferred from higher level down to the lower level of the troposphere, which resulted in the high MPV at lower levels corresponding to the heavy rain; for the convective heavy precipitation, high MPV at high levels only was transferred down to the middle level of the troposphere together with dry and cold air intruding, which triggered the moist symmetry instability energy leading to the heavy convective rain. There are significant characters of vertical structure in two different feature torrential rains， which can provide some reference for the feature and strength of short time precipitation forecast.