Summary
The meteorological structure of flood-producing weather systems affecting northern Madagascar is examined using ECMWF data. Daily rainfall in the austral summer is used to select 16 cases for a composite analysis of flood events in the period 1987–1992. Anomaly maps demonstrate a pair of convective vortices over SE Africa and the SW Indian Ocean which converge over northern Madagascar. Thermodynamic variables indicate an eastward shift of unstable moist conditions from SE Africa. A surge of monsoon northwesterlies and upper tropical easterlies are key features of flood producing systems over NW Madagascar.
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Nassor, A., Jury, M.R. Intra-seasonal climate variability of Madagascar. Part 2: Evolution of flood events. Meteorl. Atmos. Phys. 64, 243–254 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01029696
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01029696