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Synoptic and thermodynamic characteristics of 30 March–2 April 2009 heavy rainfall event in Iran

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Abstract

A heavy rainfall event during the period from 30th of March to 2nd of April 2009 has been studied using upper air and surface data as well as NOAA HYSPLIT model. This observational study attempts to determine factors responsible for the occurrence of heavy rainfall over Iran induced by Mediterranean cyclone, a western severe sub-tropical storm that made rainfall on most regions of the country. On the surface chart, cyclones, anticyclones and weather fronts were identified. The positions of the cold and warm fronts, which extended from a two-core low pressure center, were quite in good agreements with directions of winds i.e., westerly, southerly and easterly flows as well as the regions of precipitation. The heavy rain event occurred due to a Mediterranean cyclone’s activity over the study area, while other conditions were also responsible for this event such as an unstable atmosphere condition with abundant low-level moisture, which the warm and moist air parcels were brought by the southwesterly low-level jet into the country from Persian Gulf, Oman Sea, Indian Ocean and Caspian Sea at lower levels as well as Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea and Persian Gulf at upper levels over the examined period. A strong low-level convergence zone was observed along the wind-shift line between the southwesterly flow because of the low-level jet and the northeasterly flow due to the Russian high pressure. The amount of precipitable water varied between 20 and 24 kg m−2, surface moisture convergence exceeded 2.5 g kg−1 s−1 and the highest CAPE value in the sounding profiles was observed in Birjand site with 921 J kg−1 during the study period. The HYSPLIT model outputs confirmed the observed synoptic features for the examined system over the country.

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Acknowledgments

The daily precipitation data were provided by I. R. of Iran Meteorological Organization (IRIMO). NCEP/NCAR reanalysis dataset was provided by the NOAA-CIRES Climate Diagnostics Center, Boulder, Colorado, USA (http://www.cdc.noaa.gov), as well as the hourly total of rainfall and CAPE values derived from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). The Radiosonde data were gathered from the University of Wyoming website, USA. In addition, the meteorological satellite images were selected from the Dundee satellite receiving station, UK.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Geography, Faculty of Geography, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

    M. Soltani, F. Khoshakhlagh & F. Ranjbar

  2. Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), Regional Center for Science and Technology Transfer (RCSTT), Tehran, Iran

    M. Soltani

  3. Scientific Staff of Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology (IROST), Tehran, Iran

    M. Molanejad

  4. Director IORA - Regional Center for Science and Technology Transfer, Tehran, Iran

    M. Molanejad

  5. Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorological Research Center (ASMERC) of I. R. of Iran Meteorological Organization (IRIMO), Tehran, Iran

    A. Ranjbar SaadatAbadi

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  1. M. Soltani
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  2. M. Molanejad
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  3. F. Khoshakhlagh
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  4. A. Ranjbar SaadatAbadi
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  5. F. Ranjbar
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Correspondence to M. Soltani.

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Responsible editor: L. Gimeno.

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Soltani, M., Molanejad, M., Khoshakhlagh, F. et al. Synoptic and thermodynamic characteristics of 30 March–2 April 2009 heavy rainfall event in Iran. Meteorol Atmos Phys 126, 49–63 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00703-014-0339-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00703-014-0339-z

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