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Investigation of moist thermodynamical processes of a tropical thunderstorm using 205 MHz VHF radar and WRF model

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Abstract

Prediction of thunderstorms with accurate space–time-intensity is still a challenging task in the tropical region. This paper examines the development of a pre-monsoon thunderstorm over a coastal urban city with an advanced 205 MHz VHF radar, and simulates the moist thermodynamical processes with the help of Weather Research and Forecasting model. The state-of-the-art VHF radar has been utilized to explore the dynamical features of the storm that occurred over Cochin, India on a typical pre-monsoon day. The thermodynamical processes have been simulated with different sets of microphysics-, cumulus-, and boundary layer- parameterization schemes. The performance of each combination of various parameterization schemes is examined in terms of correlation and standard deviation with the observations. Out of the 42 various combinations, it is found that the combination of Thompson microphysics-, Grell Freitas Ensemble cumulus-, and Meller Yamada Janjic planetary boundary layer- schemes is able to reproduce the moist thermodynamics better when compared with ground observations involving automatic weather station (AWS) and the VHF radar. The WRF model simulates the preconditioning of the atmosphere, mid-level blocking and release of convective instability, and moisture convergence in a reasonable manner. The identified physics suite is able to predict the storm development realistically and the study offers a reliable prospect of real-time prediction of thunderstorms over this region with the WRF model.

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Acknowledgements

Authors would like to thank the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Govt. of India, for providing the financial support for the Project entitled ‘Thunderstorm Understanding and Experimental Real-time Prediction (THUNDER)’ under the THUMP Scheme (MoES/16/09/2018-RDEAS/THUMP-6 dated 28.06.2021). We also acknowledge the ACARR, Cochin University of Science and Technology for providing the research facilities. The authors thank MoES for the sustenance of the 205 MHz VHF radar and the funding for the installation of the AWS network in Kerala. Thanks are also due to the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India, for helping establish the VHF Radar Centre at Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT). S. S. Lee is supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korean government (MSIT) (Grant No. NRF2023R1A2C1002367). We are grateful to the NCAR for providing the WRF model freely.

Funding

The research leading to these results received funding from the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Government of India under the THUMP REACHOUT scheme.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Advanced Centre for Atmospheric Radar Research, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Cochin, 682022, Kerala, India

    Ashish Shaji, M. G. Manoj, Kavya Johny & Abhilash S.

  2. Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, The University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA

    Seoung-Soo Lee

  3. Research Center for Climate Sciences, Pusan National University, Busan, Republic of Korea

    Seoung-Soo Lee

  4. Science and Technology Corporation, Moffett Field, Mountain View, CA, USA

    Seoung-Soo Lee

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  1. Ashish Shaji
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Correspondence to M. G. Manoj.

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Shaji, A., Manoj, M.G., Johny, K. et al. Investigation of moist thermodynamical processes of a tropical thunderstorm using 205 MHz VHF radar and WRF model. Model. Earth Syst. Environ. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40808-024-01997-2

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