Elizaga, F. (Servicio de Tecnicas de Analisis y Prediccion -STAP-, Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia, Madrid)
Riosalido, R. (same affiliation)
Martin., F. (same affiliation)
Carretero, O. (same affiliation)
The objective of this work is the synoptic environment characterization in which Mediterranean Mesoscale Convective Systems (MCS) develop. They have been used HIRLAM objective analyses (with 0.5 degrees of horizontal resolution) for the period 1989-1993 and the convective environment has been evaluated for a sample of 67 MCS that developed during this period. A set of diagnostic fields has been calculated for each MCS, including fields to asses the dynamical forcing (divergence of Q vector), atmospheric instability (stability indices, CAPE, CIN), low level conditions (temperature advection, wet-bulb potential temperature advection, moisture flux convergence, etc.). All these fields have been obtained for different stages of the MCS life cycle.
The results of this study will aid to derive a set of 'composite charts', depicting the main synoptic factors affecting the development and evolution of this kind of MCS. The final goal would be to derive guidance for the short range forecasting of these convective events.