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Impact of sea-breeze circulation on the characteristics of convective thunderstorms over southeast India

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Abstract

The impact of Sea-breeze circulation on the convective thunderstorms over the southeast coast of Tamilnadu, India is studied using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. High-resolution (2-km) simulations are conducted with WRF for two severe thunderstorm events on 24 April 2015 in summer 22 July 2015 in the southwest monsoon. Surface observations of Automated Weather Stations (AWS), gridded accumulated rainfall, radiosonde, and Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) reflectivity products are used for model evaluation. Simulations indicated that the moisture convergence in the sea breeze frontal zone and the presence of lower atmospheric wind shear during sea breeze are the main factors for the initiation of deep convection and intensification of the thunderstorms. Simulations reveal that the thunderstorms developed in summer are more intensive due to more intense and deep-sea breeze circulation cells developing under weak synoptic flow during summer compared to monsoon. Results show that simulated summer thunderstorms are associated with higher CAPE, lower CIN, stronger vertical motion in association with a stronger convergence, higher buoyancy and larger low-level wind shear and lower upper air shear compared to the monsoon thunderstorms. The presence of stronger lower atmospheric wind shear during summer sea-breeze favours the development of strong and deep convection compared to the monsoon season. Results also showed a simulation of more solid hydrometeors (ice, snow and graupel) due to intense convection in summer compared to the monsoon season.

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Acknowledgements

Authors wish to thank Director, IGCAR, for the encouragement and support. The first author is grateful to HBNI for providing the research fellowship and IGCAR DAE for extending facilities to conduct the study. Authors acknowledge the India Meteorological Department for the access of DWR reflectivity data and the gridded rainfall observations used in the study. The Radiosonde observations of Chennai are accessed from the University of Wyoming. Authors thank MOSDAC-ISRO for the AWS observations used for the study. Authors wish to thank the anonymous reviewers for their technical comments which helped to improve the content of the paper.

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  1. Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai, 400094, India

    B. Revanth Reddy, C. V. Srinivas & B. Venkatraman

  2. Environmental Assessment Division, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam, 603102, India

    C. V. Srinivas & B. Venkatraman

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  1. B. Revanth Reddy
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Reddy, B.R., Srinivas, C.V. & Venkatraman, B. Impact of sea-breeze circulation on the characteristics of convective thunderstorms over southeast India. Meteorol Atmos Phys 135, 5 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00703-022-00941-2

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