Lightning forecasting in southeastern Brazil using the WRF model

Abstract

This paper introduces a lightning forecasting method called Potential Lightning Region (PLR), which is the probability of the occurrence of lightning over a region of interest. The PLR was calculated using a combination of meteorological variables obtained from high-resolution Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model simulations during the summer season in southeastern Brazil. The model parameters used in the PLR definition were: surface-based Convective Available Potential Energy (SBCAPE), Lifted Index (LI), K-Index (KI), average vertical velocity between 850 and 700hPa (w), and integrated ice-mixing ratio from 700 to 500hPa (QICE). Short-range runs of twelve non-severe thunderstorm cases were performed with the WRF model, using different convective and microphysical schemes. Through statistical evaluations, the WRF cloud parameterizations that best described the convective thunderstorms with lightning in southeastern Brazil were the combination of Grell–Devenyi and Thompson schemes. Two calculation methods were proposed: the Linear PLR and Normalized PLR. The difference between them is basically how they deal with the influence of lightning flashes over the WRF domain's grid points for the twelve thunderstorms analyzed. Three case studies were used to test both methods. A statistical evaluation lowering the spatial resolution of the WRF grid into larger areas was performed to study the behavior and accuracy of the PLR methods. The Normalized PLR presented the most suitable one, predicting flash occurrence appropriately.