<p><strong>Abstract.</strong> This study investigates aerosol effects on precipitation over the Pearl River Delta region of China using six years of ground-based PM₁₀ and satellite-based (TRMM) precipitation data. In general, rain rate tends to be lower under polluted conditions than under clean conditions. Radar reflectivity of the top 1<span class="thinspace"></span>% increases as the atmosphere becomes slightly polluted (PM₁₀<span class="thinspace"></span><<span

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... hinspace"></span>38<span class="thinspace"></span>μg/m³), except for shallow convection. The aerosol-precipitation data pairs are further limited to local- or meso-scale precipitation systems. Results show that significant changes in precipitation vertical structure are possibly induced by aerosol, and this potential aerosol effect is regime dependent. The 30<span class="thinspace"></span>dBZ radar echo top height is elevated by 18.7<span class="thinspace"></span>% (2.7<span class="thinspace"></span>%) for convective (stratiform) precipitation under severe polluted conditions (PM₁₀<span class="thinspace"></span>><span class="thinspace"></span>83<span class="thinspace"></span>μg/m³) compared to clean conditions (PM₁₀<span class="thinspace"></span><<span class="thinspace"></span>31<span class="thinspace"></span>μg/m³), indicative of a possible aerosol invigoration effect. In contrast, the 30<span class="thinspace"></span>dBZ radar echo top height of shallow convection are almost identical between pristine and polluted conditions. Impacts of meteorological factors are further studied on both echo top and reflectivity center of gravity, including vertical velocity, vertical wind shear, convection available potential energy, and vertically integrated moisture flux divergence. The possible invigoration effect on convective precipitation seems dependent on wind shear, in good agreement with previous simulations. Overall, the observed dependence of precipitation vertical structure on ground-based PM₁₀ supports the aerosol invigoration hypothesis and adds a new insight into the nature of the complex interactions between aerosol and various precipitation regimes.</p>