Search

Ensemble simulations of Tropical Cyclone (TC) Ando (31 December 2000-9 January 2001) are performed over the southwest Indian Ocean using the nonhydrostatic WRF Model. Nested domains centered over the island of La Réunion allow for the simulation of local rainfall amounts associated with TC Ando at very high resolution (680-m grid spacing). The model is forced by and nudged toward ERA-Interim during the first (1-6) day(s) of the TC's life cycle. The nudging ends at various dates to constrain either the whole life cycle or only parts of it. As expected, results show weakened member dispersion, as the relaxation lasts longer, with more members producing similar cyclone tracks and intensities. The model shows reasonable skill to simulate local rainfall amounts and distribution, as soon as the simulated TC approaches La Réunion with a realistic distance and azimuth. Strong lower-level wind associated with the TC is forced to ascend over the slopes of the island. The model is able to successfully simulate the extreme daily precipitation amounts (>1200 mm) and their distribution over the highest parts of La Réunion. Nevertheless, smaller-scale features of the rainfall field are less realistic in the simulations. The wind speed and direction upstream of the island are the main drivers of such local uncertainties and errors, and they appear as an important issue to assess the local impacts of the TC over such a complex terrain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gravity waves (GWs) with horizontal wavelengths of 32-2000 km are investigated during tropical cyclone (TC) Ivan (2008) in the southwest Indian Ocean in the upper troposphere (UT) and the lower stratosphere (LS) using observational data sets, radiosonde and GPS radio occultation data, ECMWF analyses and simulations of the French numerical model Meso-NH with vertical resolution <150 m near the surface and 500m in the UT/LS. Observations reveal dominant low-frequency GWs with short vertical wavelengths of 0.7-3 km, horizontal wavelengths of 80-400 km and periods of 4.6-13 h in the UT/LS. Continuous wavelet transform and image-processing tools highlight a wide spectrum of GWs with horizontal wavelengths of 40-1800 km, short vertical wavelengths of 0.6-3.3 km and periods of 20 min- 2 days from modelling analyses. Both ECMWF and Meso- NH analyses are consistent with radiosonde and GPS radio occultation data, showing evidence of a dominant TCrelated quasi-inertia GW propagating eastward east of TC Ivan with horizontal and vertical wavelengths of 400-800 km and 2-3 km respectively in the LS, more intense during TC intensification. In addition, the Meso-NH model produces a realistic, detailed description of TC dynamics, some highfrequency GWs near the TC eye, variability of the tropospheric and stratospheric background wind and TC rainband characteristics at different stages of TC Ivan. A wave number 1 vortex Rossby wave is suggested as a source of dominant inertiaGWwith horizontal wavelengths of 400-800 km, while shorter scale modes (100-200 km) located at northeast and southeast of the TC could be attributed to strong localized convection in spiral bands resulting from wave number 2 vortex Rossby waves. Meso-NH simulations also revealGWrelated clouds east of TC Ivan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]