Dependence of the upper middle atmosphere on tropospheric circulation: Correlation of European winter rainfall and midlatitude mesopause region zonalwinds

The winter midlatitude upper mesosphere/lower thermosphere zonal winds are connected with the northern hemisphere troposphere circulation, such that m esopause region zonal westerly winds are stronger when North Atlantic weste rly winds onto Europe are stronger. Since European rainfall rates are conne cted with the North Atlantic tropospheric circulation, e.g. expressed throu gh a connection with the North Atlantic Oscillation, this leads to a connec tion between European rainfall and mesopause region circulation, too. Winte r rainfall over Northern Europe is larger, when the upper atmosphere zonal prevailing wind is stronger, while in the mediterranean an opposite correla tion is found. However, this connection does not give a hint of a direct co upling between upper mesosphere/lower thermosphere winds and European rainf all, but rather shows that both European tropospheric and upper atmosphere dynamical parameters are both included into large-scale circulation pattern s.