Radar-derived convective storms' climatology for the Prut River basin: 2003–2017
<p>Weather radar measurements are used to study the climatology of convective storms and their characteristics in the transboundary Prut River basin. The Storm Cell Identification and Tracking (SCIT) algorithm was used to process the volumetric reflectivity measurements, in order to identify,...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2019-07-01
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| Series: | Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences |
| Online Access: | https://www.nat-hazards-earth-syst-sci.net/19/1305/2019/nhess-19-1305-2019.pdf |
| Summary: | <p>Weather radar measurements are used to study the
climatology of convective storms and their characteristics in the
transboundary Prut River basin. The Storm Cell Identification and Tracking
(SCIT) algorithm was used to process the volumetric reflectivity
measurements, in order to identify, characterize, and track the convective
storm cells. The storm attribute table output of the algorithm was used to
separate the convective from the stratiform storm cells, by applying a
simple selection criterion based on the average vertically integrated liquid
(VIL) values. The radar-derived characteristics of convective storms were
used to document the spatial and temporal distributions and storm
properties in terms of duration, distance travelled, movement direction, and
intensity. The results show that 94.3 % of all convective storm cells were
detected during May–August, with the peak in July. The peak time for
convective storm cells' occurrence was in the afternoon and evening hours
between 10:00 and 18:00 UTC. The median duration of a convective storm was 42 min, the median distance travelled was 23 km, and the median movement speed
was 7.7 m s<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−1</sup></span>. The average movement of storms varied with months, but
overall most convective storms move from the south-west and south–south-east.
Also, the analysis shows that the longer-lasting convective storms were the
most intense. The spatial distribution of the convective cells reveals
yearly variation patterns and hotspots but also highlights the limitations
of radar measurement at longer distances. Reanalysis data suggest that low
values of sea level pressure over the Black Sea can act as a dynamical
driver of convective storms in the analysed area.</p> |
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| ISSN: | 1561-8633 1684-9981 |