Synoptic characteristics and corresponding meteorological emergency service strategies based on a mountain flood disaster event in Datong of Qinghai Province on August 18, 2022

How to leverage functional advantages of meteorological departments to effectively mitigate and address the risks and challenges caused by extreme weather needs to be incorporated in meteorological service practice. On the night of August 17, 2022, an extreme short-term heavy rainfall event occurred in northeastern Qinghai Province, triggering mountain flash floods that caused casualties and significant economic losses in Datong Hui and Tu Autonomous County in Xining City. This study analyzes the characteristics of the short-duration extreme precipitation event and the resulting flash flood in Datong, and reviews the meteorological emergency service process during the disaster. Based on this examination, this study identified the existing problems in the meteorological emergency response and proposed four recommendations for improving the meteorological emergency services in response to the mountain flood disasters in Qinghai in the future. These four suggestions are as follows: (1) build meteorological disaster emergency response plans that reflect regional characteristics, (2) improve the meteorological monitoring station network to cover all relevant elements, (3) establish the meteorological disaster emergency response coordination mechanisms, and (4) strengthen meteorological science communication through diverse and engaging forms of public education.