Professional paper
SYNOPTIC AND MESOSCALE ANALYSIS OF HAILSTORMS OVER CROATIA ON 22 AND 23 JUNE 2007
N. Strelec Mahović
orcid.org/0000-0002-0850-8250
; Meteorological and Hydrological Service, Zagreb, Croatia
Plačko-Vršnak, D.
; Meteorological and Hydrological Service, Zagreb, Croatia
Mazzocco Drvar, D.
; Meteorological and Hydrological Service, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
A case of severe convective development affecting Croatia on 22 and 23 June 2007 is analyzed by means of synoptic material, satellite, radar and lightning data as well as hailpad data and hail observations. The development occurred during the passage of a cold front in strong upper-level south-westerly flow, bringing warm and humid air from the West Mediterranean. The onset of convection was triggered by the orographic lifting on the islands and later on the Dinaric Alps. A supercell developing in the North Adriatic split into two cells due to strong vertical wind shear and veering of the wind in the lowest 3 km. The right-moving cell with cyclonic rotation was longer living and the left one died out. Large hail was reported along the path of the cell. Later on, convective cells developing over the continental part of Croatia were of lower intensity, but still bringing hail of the hazelnut size. Hailpad measurements and hail observations show the distribution of hail in time and give the information about the sizes of hailstones. Aladin meso-scale model performance is tested for the development in the North Adriatic, showing that the model could successfully reproduce the environment
and the conditions for severe convective development, however underestimating the precipitation amount.
Keywords
Convective storms; supercell split; hail; model forecast
Hrčak ID:
115913
URI
Publication date:
28.1.2014.
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