Connecting flash flood events with radar-derived convective storm characteristics on the northwestern Mediterranean coast: knowing the present for better future scenarios adaptation

The northwestern Mediterranean coast is one of the areas most affected by flash floods and adverse weather, where also global climate scenarios are predicting an increase in precipitation extremes. This, along with the sea-level rise and the associated potential infrastructure and economical losses,...

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Authors: Moral Méndez, Anna del, Llasat Botija, María del Carmen, Rigo, Tomeu
Format: article
Status:Versión aceptada para publicación
Publication Date:2020
Country:España
Institution:Universidad de Barcelona
Repository:Dipòsit Digital de la UB
OAI Identifier:oai:diposit.ub.edu:2445/167122
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/2445/167122
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Inundacions
Observacions meteorològiques
Precipitacions (Meteorologia)
Salou (Catalunya)
Floods
Meteorological observations
Precipitations (Meteorology)
Salou (Catalonia)
id ES_8080f1122f06ea4d659f75ff870e6550
oai_identifier_str oai:diposit.ub.edu:2445/167122
network_acronym_str ES
network_name_str España
repository_id_str
spelling Connecting flash flood events with radar-derived convective storm characteristics on the northwestern Mediterranean coast: knowing the present for better future scenarios adaptationMoral Méndez, Anna delLlasat Botija, María del CarmenRigo, TomeuInundacionsObservacions meteorològiquesPrecipitacions (Meteorologia)Salou (Catalunya)FloodsMeteorological observationsPrecipitations (Meteorology)Salou (Catalonia)The northwestern Mediterranean coast is one of the areas most affected by flash floods and adverse weather, where also global climate scenarios are predicting an increase in precipitation extremes. This, along with the sea-level rise and the associated potential infrastructure and economical losses, represents a major risk for coastal settlements, as the one studied in this work: a major touristic area on the southern coast of Catalonia. The objective of the present paper is, thus, to understand in-depth the behavior of convective activity in the area and its link with flash flood events, to improve adverse and severe weather early warning systems in a rapidly changing weather as an adaptation measure. With this purpose, the study focuses on the period 2014-2018, analyzing the convective cells and storm motion in the region of study, through the new identification and tracking algorithm developed by the authors and applied in the Meteorological Service of Catalonia. The results show that the area is mostly affected by shallow but efficient convection, probably embedded in major weather systems with high precipitation rain rates, which tends to saturate the catchments and produce flooding. The work also shows the role of the topography as a triggering factor for storms outside the convective season, as a key feature for the convergence lines organization, and as a capping for stationary cells upstream. Improvements in the current warning system, such as different precipitation thresholds considering the time of exposure to that rain, as well as a further study are also presented as main results. These results can be extrapolated and applied to other regions affected by the same kind of heavy precipitation and flash floods.Elsevier B.V.2020info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersionapplication/pdfhttps://hdl.handle.net/2445/167122Articles publicats en revistes (Física Aplicada)reponame:Dipòsit Digital de la UBinstname:Universidad de BarcelonaInglésVersió postprint del document publicat a: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2020.104863Atmospheric Research, 2020, num. 238 , p. 104863https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2020.104863cc-by-nc-nd (c) Elsevier B.V., 2020http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/esinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:diposit.ub.edu:2445/1671222026-05-27T06:46:51Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Connecting flash flood events with radar-derived convective storm characteristics on the northwestern Mediterranean coast: knowing the present for better future scenarios adaptation
title Connecting flash flood events with radar-derived convective storm characteristics on the northwestern Mediterranean coast: knowing the present for better future scenarios adaptation
spellingShingle Connecting flash flood events with radar-derived convective storm characteristics on the northwestern Mediterranean coast: knowing the present for better future scenarios adaptation
Moral Méndez, Anna del
Inundacions
Observacions meteorològiques
Precipitacions (Meteorologia)
Salou (Catalunya)
Floods
Meteorological observations
Precipitations (Meteorology)
Salou (Catalonia)
title_short Connecting flash flood events with radar-derived convective storm characteristics on the northwestern Mediterranean coast: knowing the present for better future scenarios adaptation
title_full Connecting flash flood events with radar-derived convective storm characteristics on the northwestern Mediterranean coast: knowing the present for better future scenarios adaptation
title_fullStr Connecting flash flood events with radar-derived convective storm characteristics on the northwestern Mediterranean coast: knowing the present for better future scenarios adaptation
title_full_unstemmed Connecting flash flood events with radar-derived convective storm characteristics on the northwestern Mediterranean coast: knowing the present for better future scenarios adaptation
title_sort Connecting flash flood events with radar-derived convective storm characteristics on the northwestern Mediterranean coast: knowing the present for better future scenarios adaptation
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Moral Méndez, Anna del
Llasat Botija, María del Carmen
Rigo, Tomeu
author Moral Méndez, Anna del
author_facet Moral Méndez, Anna del
Llasat Botija, María del Carmen
Rigo, Tomeu
author_role author
author2 Llasat Botija, María del Carmen
Rigo, Tomeu
author2_role author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Inundacions
Observacions meteorològiques
Precipitacions (Meteorologia)
Salou (Catalunya)
Floods
Meteorological observations
Precipitations (Meteorology)
Salou (Catalonia)
topic Inundacions
Observacions meteorològiques
Precipitacions (Meteorologia)
Salou (Catalunya)
Floods
Meteorological observations
Precipitations (Meteorology)
Salou (Catalonia)
description The northwestern Mediterranean coast is one of the areas most affected by flash floods and adverse weather, where also global climate scenarios are predicting an increase in precipitation extremes. This, along with the sea-level rise and the associated potential infrastructure and economical losses, represents a major risk for coastal settlements, as the one studied in this work: a major touristic area on the southern coast of Catalonia. The objective of the present paper is, thus, to understand in-depth the behavior of convective activity in the area and its link with flash flood events, to improve adverse and severe weather early warning systems in a rapidly changing weather as an adaptation measure. With this purpose, the study focuses on the period 2014-2018, analyzing the convective cells and storm motion in the region of study, through the new identification and tracking algorithm developed by the authors and applied in the Meteorological Service of Catalonia. The results show that the area is mostly affected by shallow but efficient convection, probably embedded in major weather systems with high precipitation rain rates, which tends to saturate the catchments and produce flooding. The work also shows the role of the topography as a triggering factor for storms outside the convective season, as a key feature for the convergence lines organization, and as a capping for stationary cells upstream. Improvements in the current warning system, such as different precipitation thresholds considering the time of exposure to that rain, as well as a further study are also presented as main results. These results can be extrapolated and applied to other regions affected by the same kind of heavy precipitation and flash floods.
publishDate 2020
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2020
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersion
format article
status_str acceptedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv https://hdl.handle.net/2445/167122
url https://hdl.handle.net/2445/167122
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv Versió postprint del document publicat a: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2020.104863
Atmospheric Research, 2020, num. 238 , p. 104863
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2020.104863
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv cc-by-nc-nd (c) Elsevier B.V., 2020
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/es
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv cc-by-nc-nd (c) Elsevier B.V., 2020
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/es
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Elsevier B.V.
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Elsevier B.V.
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv Articles publicats en revistes (Física Aplicada)
reponame:Dipòsit Digital de la UB
instname:Universidad de Barcelona
instname_str Universidad de Barcelona
reponame_str Dipòsit Digital de la UB
collection Dipòsit Digital de la UB
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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score 15.298079

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