Abstract:The main characteristics of the general circulation in August 2016 are as follows. The polar vortex of the Northern Hemisphere presents a single pattern. In the mid high latitudes of Asia, the circulation presents a two trough and one ridge pattern. The subtropical high lies eastward and northward obviously, and its intensity in northwestern Pacific Ocean is weaker than its average state during the corresponding period of normal years, and the high pressure on land is stronger than the average. Meanwhile, the monthly mean precipitation is 93.9 mm, which is 11.2% less than its normal value (105.7 mm). The monthly mean temperature is 22℃, 1.2℃ higher than its climatological mean (20.8℃), which is the highest historical record since 1961. Six regional torrential rainfall events happened in August, and four of them were caused by tropical cyclones or tropical disturbances. In August, eight tropical cyclones were active over the northwestern Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea, and Typhoons Nida (1604) and Dianmu (1608) made landfall along the coastal areas over southern China. Long lasting and large scale high temperature occurred all over the central and eastern part of China. Continuous drought happened over the western part of Northeast and eastern Inner Mongolia of China.