Severe thunderstorms form over the Eastern and Northeastern parts of India, i.e., Gangetic West Bengal, Jharkhand,
Orissa, Assam and parts of Bihar during the pre-monsoon months (April-May). These storms are known as "Nor'wester"
as they move from Northwest to Southeast.
In this study we have made numerical simulations of 10 thunderstorms that formed over the West Bengal region during
April-May of 2005 and 2006. Numerical simulations have been carried out using MM5 mesoscale model (at 10 km
resolution) using conventional and non-conventional observations from Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) and satellites.
Composite characteristics of the Nor'wester have been made based upon the simulations. Results indicate that the
Nor'westers occur generally when the CAPE increases above 1500 J Kg-1. They have updraft speeds up to 3-4 m s-1,
while the downdrafts have magnitudes of about 0.4 - 0.5 m s-1. The updrafts can extend up to 8-9 km altitudes. The total
amount of hydrometeors simulated inside the Nor'westers is up to 600-800 mg kg-1. Large amount of ice and snow exist
at upper levels, while liquid water is present in the lower levels. The magnitudes of the ice, snow and liquid water
depend on the stage of their life cycle.
Conference Committee Involvement (2)
Remote Sensing and Modeling of the Atmosphere, Oceans, and Interactions II
19 November 2008 | Noumea, New Caledonia
Remote Sensing and Modeling of the Atmosphere, Oceans, and Interactions
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