Three key challenges hinder the identification of short-term heavy precipitation (STHP) over the Yangtze River Delta region: feature selection, sample imbalance, and poor physical performance of models. To address these issues, this study developed a physically consistent cascade recognition model based on ERA5 reanalysis data from 2020 to 2024 and high-density ground-based observations. The model first reduced 71 candidate factors to 15 core physical variables through a stepwise feature enginee