The detailed kinematic structure of a heavy rain event that occurred in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River was investigated using dual-Doppler radar observation. A variational analysis method was developed to obtain the three-dimensional wind fields. Before the analysis, a data preprocessing procedure was carried out, in which the temporal variation with the scanning time interval and the effect of the earth curvature on the data position were taken into account. The analysis shows that a shear line in the lower and middle levels played an important role in the rainfall event. The precipitation fell mainly on the south end of the shear line where southerly flow prevailed and convergence and updraft were obvious. With the movement and decay of the shear line, the precipitation moved and decayed correspondingly.
