Monsoonal influences on a mesoscale convective systemover midlatitude South Australia

Abstract

An Australian circular mesoscale convective system (MCS) is examined using available surface and upper air analyses as well as satellite imagery. The MCS formed over central South Australia on 5 February 1997 and lasted approximately nine hours. It is found that MCS generation occurred following anomalous southward penetration of the monsoon trough over Australia. This penetration into southern Australia resulted in an input of extremely moist and unstable tropical air over the region which, together with the development of complex of shallow lows and troughs within the main monsoon trough, led to generation of the MCS. During the lifespan of the MCS, rainfall amounts in excess of 100 mm (and up to 175 mm over a four hour period at certain locations) were recorded with accompanying flash flooding and severe damage. A low in the middle levels of the atmosphere was responsible for the eventual decay of the storm. North to north-westerly winds winds around this low continually advected cloud away from the MCS towards the south and south east. This removal of cloud mass eventually led to dissipation of the MCS as it tracked away from the zone of maximum surface heating. Despite this storm just failing to meet the size criterion for mesoscale convective complex (MCC) status, it is very similar to “typical” MCCs found elsewhere in the world in terms of its lifetime and nocturnal nature. Although mesoscale storms of this type are not rare in Australia, MCS’s in South Australia make up only a small proportion of the total number of systems over south eastern Australia. These factors, in conjunction with the anomalous southward penetration of the monsoon trough and associated synoptic conditions, make this storm somewhat unusual.