Faculty of Physics - University of Bucharest

UNIVERSITY OF BUCHAREST
FACULTY OF PHYSICS

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2024-11-22 1:32

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Conference: Bucharest University Faculty of Physics 2024 Meeting

Section: Atmosphere and Earth Science; Environment Protection

Title:

Thunderstorm Climatology in Romania: Insights from ERA5 Reanalysis and ATDnet Lightning Data

Authors:

Andreea CRISTIAN (1, 2), Gabriela CIOCAN (1, 3), Marilena ZUZEAC (1, 4), Alexandru POPESCU (1, 5), Bogdan ANTONESCU (1, 6)

Affiliation:

(1) Faculty of Physics, University of Bucharest, str. Atomiștilor 407, RO-077125, Magurele-Bucharest, Romania

(2) National Meteorological Administration, sos. București--Ploiești 97, 031686, Bucharest, Romania

(3) National Institute of Research and Development for Optoelectronics INOE 2000, str. Atomiștilor 409, 077125, Măgurele, Romania

(4) Ministry of National Defense, 57th ``Mihail Kogalniceanu'' Air Base, Constanța, Romania

(5) National Institute for Aerospace Research ``Elie Carafoli'' , Bd. Iuliu Maniu 220, 061126, Bucharest, Romania

(6) National Institute for Earth Physics, Str. Călugareni 12, 077125, Magurele-Bucharest, Romania

E-mail

andreeacristian26@gmail.com

Keywords:

Thunderstorms, Climatology, Reanalysis, Trends, Lightning, Climatic drivers

Abstract:

This study presents an analysis of the climatology of thunderstorms in Romania spanning the period from 1940 to 2022, utilizing ERA5 reanalysis data and ATDnet lightning data. Thunderstorms represent a significant meteorological phenomenon impacting various sectors. The methodology involves the extraction and analysis of variables, such as CAPE, CIN, CP, LCL_HGT, EL_HGT, WMAX_SHEAR, to identify thunderstorm occurrences and their associated features. Significant trends are identified, including changes in thunderstorm frequency, duration, and intensity over the study period. Moreover, the analysis highlights the impact of climatic drivers on thunderstorm variability, providing insights into potential future changes in thunderstorm activity. Following the processing of the available data, threshold values for identifying convective phenomena have been obtained (CAPE > 150 J/KG and CP > 0.075 mm/h). Winter months show the lowest lightning percentages, gradually increasing from March to June, then declining through December. Hourly, values remain stable from 1 to 8 UTC, sharply rise until 13 UTC, then gradually fall. June and July have the highest occurrences, with sporadic rises in April and October, while January, February, March, November, and December stay below 1%. Mountainous regions have high lightning hours (270-390 h), peaking in the western Southern Carpathians and northern Western Carpathians. Dobrogea and Moldavia see fewer occurrences (below 150 h), while eastern areas, particularly Dobrogea, central Moldavia, and the Curvature Carpathians, show a positive trend with isolated decreases. This study offers a fresh perspective on Romania's storm climatology, shedding new light on this dynamic weather phenomenon.