Gaya, M. (Centro Meteorologico Territorial de Baleares. INM. Spain)
Ramis, C. (Departament de Fisica. Universitat de les Illes Balears. Spain)
Romero, R. (same affiliation)
Doswell-III, C. A. (NSSL/NOAA. Norman. OK. USA)
A first observational approach to the tornado occurrence in the Balearic Islands (Spain) is presented. The approach is based on field measurements of significant damages produced by wind associated with severe thunderstorms since 1990. There is evidence that tornado occurrence in the region is more frequent than previously noted in meteorological archives. The maximum frequency is found in September, October and November. Characteristic meteorological conditions at synoptic scale in which the tornadoes developed are shown. Using ECMWF analysis data, the spatial distribution of parameters favouring deep convection (e. g., CAPE, SRH, upward quasigeostrophic forcing) is examined. In addition, thermodynamic vertical profiles of tornadic environments are analysed using radiosoundings from Palma (a WMO station located in Mallorca, the largest of the islands).