Rainfall over the Maritime Continent: key processes, scale interactions and model representation

The Maritime Continent in southeast Asia receives extreme rainfall all year round. Various key processes, from larger-scale modes of variability to finer-scale forcings such as the diurnal cycle, influence these rainfall patterns. Our understanding of the regional meteorology, however, is complicated by scale interactions between these processes. This added complexity affects our ability to effectively model and forecast weather patterns across the Maritime Continent. Here, I provide a review of current knowledge of the processes and scale interactions influencing Maritime Continent rainfall. I also address successes and challenges within existing modelling efforts, and what future climate projections suggest for the region.