Abstract
AbstractIn this study, a 10-yr (2008–17) radar-based mesoscale convective system (MCS) and derecho climatology for Poland is presented. This is one of the first attempts of a European country to investigate morphological and precipitation archetypes of MCSs as prior studies were mostly based on satellite data. Despite its ubiquity and significance for society, economy, agriculture, and water availability, little is known about the climatological aspects of MCSs over central Europe. Our results indicate that MCSs are not rare in Poland as an annual mean of 77 MCSs and 49 days with MCS can be depicted for Poland. Their lifetime ranges typically from 3 to 6 h, with initiation time around the afternoon hours (1200–1400 UTC) and dissipation stage in the evening (1900–2000 UTC). The most frequent morphological type of MCSs is a broken line (58% of cases), then areal/cluster (25%), and then quasi-linear convective systems (QLCS; 17%), which are usually associated with a bow echo (72% of QLCS). QLCS are the feature with the longest life cycle. Among precipitation archetypes of linear MCSs, trailing stratiform (73%) and parallel stratiform (25%) are the most common. MCSs are usually observed from April to September, with a peak in mid-July. A majority of MCSs travels from the west, southwest, and south sectors. A total of 16 derecho events were identified (1.5% of all MCS and 9.1% of all QLCS); the majority of them were produced by a warm-season QLCS, whereas only 4 were produced by cold-season narrow cold-frontal rainbands. Warm-season derechos produced a bigger impact than did cold-season events, even though their damage paths were shorter.
Highlights
According to estimates based on lightning data and ground-based human observations of audible thunder (SYNOP reports), more than 150 days with thunderstorm occur each year in Poland, and for a specific location that number changes from 15 days over the northeastern part of the country up to 35 over the southeast (Bielec-Bakowska 2003; Taszarek et al 2015)
In total 766 mesoscale convective systems (MCS) occurring over 488 days were identified over the period 2008–17, giving an annual mean of 77 MCSs and 49 days with MCS
A 10-yr climatology of MCSs and derechos was constructed for Poland
Summary
According to estimates based on lightning data and ground-based human observations of audible thunder (SYNOP reports), more than 150 days with thunderstorm occur each year in Poland, and for a specific location that number changes from 15 days over the northeastern part of the country up to 35 over the southeast (Bielec-Bakowska 2003; Taszarek et al 2015). Better-organized storm complexes that create their own internal circulation and usually require stronger environmental wind shear are called mesoscale convective systems (MCS; Markowski and Richardson 2010). They typically last from a few to several hours and contain continuous area of precipitation extending to a distance of 100 km or more (Houze 1993, 2004, 2019).
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