engleski

Mechanisms producing heavy precipitation event in the southern Adriatic area

Extreme precipitation event occurred in the morning hours on 22 November 2010 over Dubrovnik, Croatia and the surrounding area of the southern Dinaric Alps mountain range. The rain gauge measurements in Dubrovnik exceeded 160 mm / 24 h, with a peak intensity of 71.5 mm/h. The event caused severe flash floods, landslides, interruption of traffic and electricity as well as other infrastructural damage. The synoptic environment was characterized by a deep cyclone moving from northern Europe over the Alps and farther east. The associated frontal system covered most of the central Europe and the mid-Mediterranean. The mechanisms responsible for the formation of convection have been analyzed though synoptic measurements, satellite data and numerical experiments performed with the WRF model, which was set up at the convection-resolving resolution in the innermost domain. The numerical simulations highlighted the essential role of southerly low-level jet stream (LLJS) in the transport of warm and moist air towards the affected area. In addition, numerical sensitivity experiments shaded light on the role of the complex orography of the southern Dinaric Alps on the initialization and development of convection over the target area.

heavy precipitation; WRF model; satellite data; orography

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