Stein, J. (CNRM, Meteo-France and CNRS, Toulouse France)
Bougeault, P. (same affiliation)
Dore, A. (same affiliation)
Senesi, S. (same affiliation)
The Vaison-la-Romaine flash flood on 22 September 1992 resulted in 42 casualties, and major economic damages. The observed rainfall in this case reached 300 mm in 6 hours.
It was generated by the combination of several mesoscale convective systems, ahead of a cold front associated with a cut-off low, and exhibited many stationnary features.
In many respects, the event appears to be prototypical of the intense rainfall frequently observed on the mediterranean belt of southern France every fall season. It has been therefore selected as one of the case studies for the preparatory phase of the MAP program.
The paper will present a summary of diagnostic studies of this case, and numerical results of several numerical models, including the most recent non hydrostatic modelof the french atmospheric community, Meso-NH.