Extreme Weather E-Book

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Wissenschaft und neue Technologien
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 1066

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2016

Beschreibung

This book is about weather extremes in the United Kingdom. It presents fascinating and detailed insights into tornadoes (supercell and non-supercell tornadoes, historical and contemporary case studies, frequency and spatial distributions, and unique data on extreme events); thunderstorms (epic event analysis and observing); hailstorms (intensity, distributions and frequency of high magnitude events); lightning (lightning as a hazard, impacts and injuries); ball lightning (definitions, impacts and case studies); flooding (historical and contemporary analysis, extreme rainfall and flash flooding); snowfalls (heavy snowfall days and events). It also looks at researching weather extremes, provides guidance on performing post-storm site investigations and details what is involved in severe weather forecasting. It is written by members, directors and past and present Heads of the research group the Tornado and Storm Research Organisation (TORRO). With fifteen chapters thematically arranged, and data appendix including a new tornado map of the U.K., this book presents a wealth of information on meteorological extremes.
 
This volume is aimed primarily at researchers in the field of meteorology and climatology, but will also be of interest to advanced undergraduate students taking relevant courses in this area.

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Cover

Title Page

Notes on Contributors

Foreword

Preface

About the Companion Website

1 Researching Extreme Weather in the United Kingdom and Ireland: The History of the Tornado and Storm Research Organisation, 1974–2014

1.1 Introduction: The Early Years

1.2 International T-Scale: Theoretical Basis

1.3 Tornado Research Organisation

1.4 The Inaugural Issue of

The Journal of Meteorology

1.5 Storm-Damage Site and Track Investigations

1.6 Birmingham Tornado of 28 July 2005

1.7 TORRO Conferences

1.8 The Future

Acknowledgements

Additional information

References

Part I: Tornadoes

2 Historical tornadoes in the British Isles

2.1 Introduction

2.2 Etymology of the Word

Tornado

2.3 Terminology

2.4 Accuracy and Completeness of the Records

2.5 Analysis of Historical Tornadoes

2.6 Examples of Historical Tornado Reports

2.7 Concluding Remarks

References

3 Supercell and Non-supercell Tornadoes in the United Kingdom and Ireland

3.1 Introduction

3.2 Basic Structure and Life Cycle of a Storm Cell

3.3 Storm Mode: An Overview of Single-Cell, Multicell and Supercell Convection

3.4 Tornadoes in Supercell and Non-supercell Storms

3.5 Towards a Climatology of Tornadoes by Synoptic Type

3.6 Monthly and Annual Frequencies of Tornadoes by Synoptic Type

3.7 Spatial Distribution of Tornadoes by Synoptic Type

3.8 Morphology of Tornadic Storms

3.9 Association of Supercells with Giant Hail

3.10 Case Studies of Supercell and Non-supercell Tornadoes

3.11 Concluding Remarks

References

4 Tornadoes in the United Kingdom and Ireland: Frequency and Spatial Distribution

4.1 Introduction

4.2 The TORRO Database

4.3 Tornado Frequency for the United Kingdom and Ireland: 1981–2010

4.4 Spatial Distribution of Tornadoes in the United Kingdom and Ireland

4.5 Issues with Mapping

4.6 Kernel Density Mapping of Tornado Distribution

4.7 The ‘London Metropolitan’ Anomaly

4.8 The Isle of Wight and South Coast Anomaly

4.9 Concluding Remarks

Acknowledgements

Additional Information

References

5 Tornado Extremes in the United Kingdom: The Earliest, Longest, Widest, Severest and Deadliest

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Earliest Tornado

5.3 Other Whirlwinds (First UK Record Only)

5.4 Longest Tornado Track

5.5 Widest Tornado Track

5.6 Severest Tornado

5.7 Largest Outbreaks

5.8 Highest Death Toll

5.9 Concluding Remarks

Acknowledgements

References

6 Site Investigations of Tornado Events

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Getting Started: How Site Investigations Come About

6.3 Site Investigation Methods

6.4 Site Investigation Outcomes: The Growing Understanding of UK Tornadoes

6.5 Site Investigation Experience

6.6 Concluding Remarks

Acknowledgements

References

Part II: Thunderstorms and Lightning

7 Epic Thunderstorms in Britain and Ireland

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Selected Epic Thunderstorm Events

7.3 Concluding Remarks

Acknowledgements

References

8 Thunderstorm Observing in the United Kingdom: A Personal Diary of Days with Thunder 1953–2013

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Early Observations

8.3 Thunderstorms of the 1960s

8.4 Thunderstorms of the 1970s

8.5 Thunderstorms of the 1980s

8.6 The Forecasting of Thunderstorms

8.7 Back to the 1980s

8.8 Thunderstorms of the 1990s

8.9 The Most Recent Thunderstorms: 2000–2013

8.10 Concluding Remarks

References

9 Severe Hailstorms in the United Kingdom and Ireland: A Climatological Survey with Recent and Historical Case Studies

9.1 Introduction

9.2 Assessing the Intensity of Hail Falls

9.3 Annual Frequency of Hail

9.4 Seasonal Occurrence of Hail

9.5 Geographical Distribution

9.6 Hailstorm Characteristics

9.7 Synoptic Weather Types and Hailstorms

9.8 Hour-of-Day Distribution

9.9 Summary of TORRO’s Overall Findings

9.10 Twenty of the Most Severe Hailstorms

9.11 Concluding Remarks

Acknowledgements

References

10 Lightning Impacts in the United Kingdom and Ireland

10.1 Lightning as a Weather Hazard

10.2 Historical Research into Lightning

10.3 Research into Lightning Impacts

10.4 Annual Number of Lightning Incidents Causing Injuries and Deaths

10.5 Lightning Injuries

10.6 Electrical Routes by Which Lightning Causes Injuries

10.7 Lightning Strikes to Groups of People

10.8 Locations to Avoid during Thunderstorms

10.9 Lightning Incidents Affecting People Indoors

10.10 The Frequency with which Lightning Strikes a Person

10.11 Fewer Deaths from Lightning Over Time

10.12 Lightning Strikes to Animals

10.13 Lightning Impacts on Aircraft and Motor Vehicles

10.14 Increasing Awareness of the Lightning Risk

Acknowledgements

References

11 Ball Lightning Research in the United Kingdom

11.1 Introduction

11.2 Definitions

11.3 What Ball Lightning Is Not

11.4 Ambiguity: Ball Lightning, Fireballs, Meteors and Meteorites

11.5 Early Beliefs about Lightning and Ball Lightning

11.6 Early Reports of Ball Lightning

11.7 Interpreting Early Reports

11.8 A Selection of Ball Lightning Reports Recorded by TORRO 2000–2014

11.9 2014: Ball Lightning in the UK Media

11.10 Concluding Remarks

Acknowledgments

References

Part III: Extremes

12 Forecasting Severe Weather in the United Kingdom and Ireland

12.1 Introduction

12.2 Modern Forecasting

12.3 Severe Storm Forecasting in the United States

12.4 Severe Storm Forecasting Elsewhere

12.5 Forecasting Techniques

12.6 The Ingredients-Based Approach

12.7 TORRO’s Forecasts

12.8 Forecasting Severe Weather: 28 June 2012

12.9 Concluding Remarks

Acknowledgements

References

13 Extreme Flooding in the United Kingdom and Ireland: The Early Years, AD 1 to AD 1300

13.1 Introduction

13.2 Sources of Evidence

13.3 The Early Years – 1st–10th Centuries

13.4 Extreme Flooding in the 11th Century

13.5 Extreme Flooding in the 12th Century

13.6 Extreme Flooding in the 13th Century

13.7 Concluding Remarks

Acknowledgements

References

14 Extreme Rainfall and Flash Floods in the United Kingdom and Ireland: Synoptic Patterns and Selected Case Studies

14.1 Introduction

14.2 Severe Dynamic Rainfalls

14.3 Hybrid Rainfalls – Dynamic Precipitation with Embedded Convective Cells

14.4 Severe Convective Rainfalls

14.5 Gwynedd, North Wales, UK, 3 July 2001

14.6 Boscastle, Cornwall, UK, 16 August 2004

14.7 Holmfirth, Yorkshire, UK, 29 May 1944

14.8 Ottery St. Mary, Devon, UK, 30 October 2008

14.9 Concluding Remarks

Acknowledgements

References

15 Heavy Snowfalls Across Great Britain

15.1 Introduction

15.2 Definitions

15.3 Synoptic Systems and Heavy Snowfalls

15.4 Snowfall Climatology of Great Britain

15.5 Sources of Data

15.6 Snow Depths and Days with Snowfall

15.7 Spatial Methodology for Heavy Snowfall Events

15.8 Heavy Snowfall Events over Great Britain

15.9 Heavy Snowfalls 1861–1869

15.10 Heavy Snowfalls 1870–1879

15.11 Heavy Snowfalls 1880–1889

15.12 Heavy Snowfalls 1890–1899

15.13 Heavy Snowfalls 1900–1909

15.14 Heavy Snowfalls 1910–1919

15.15 Heavy Snowfalls 1920–1929

15.16 Heavy Snowfalls 1930–1939

15.17 Heavy Snowfalls 1940–1949

15.18 Heavy Snowfalls 1950–1959

15.19 Heavy Snowfalls 1960–1969

15.20 Heavy Snowfalls 1970–1979

15.21 Heavy Snowfalls 1980–1989

15.22 Heavy Snowfalls 1990–1999

15.23 Heavy Snowfall Frequencies in Great Britain 1861–1999

15.24 LWTs and Heavy Snowfalls

15.25 Depressions and Heavy Snowfalls

15.26 Fronts Associated with Heavy Snowfall Days (1937–1999)

15.27 Concluding Remarks

Acknowledgements

References

Appendix B: Selected Pictures from Conferences and Meetings

Appendix C: Tornadoes in the United Kingdom and Ireland 1054–2013

Selected Name Index

Subject Index

End User License Agreement

List of Tables

Chapter 01

Table 1.1 The international tornado intensity scale.

Chapter 03

Table 3.1 Seasonal frequency of tornadoes by synoptic type, expressed as a percentage of all tornadoes in each season.

Table 3.2 Seasonal frequency of tornadoes rated as ≥ T2 intensity by synoptic type, expressed as a percentage of all ≥ T2 intensity tornadoes in each season.

Table 3.3 Criteria for the classification of convection morphology from composite radar rainfall rate imagery.

Table 3.4 Tornado totals, as a function of storm morphology and synoptic type, over the period 2003–2012.

Chapter 04

Table 4.1 Tornado and tornado day totals, 1981–2010.

Table 4.2 Percentage of UK and Ireland tornadoes by month and tornado days by month, 1981–2010.

Table 4.3 Percentage of UK and Ireland tornado intensities, 1981–2010.

Table 4.4 Percentage of UK and Ireland tornado track lengths, 1981–2010.

Table 4.5 Percentage of UK and Ireland tornado maximum track widths, 1981–2010.

Chapter 07

Table 7.1 Methods of summarising thunderstorm observational data.

Table 7.2 Observations of thunderstorms at selected locations, 4 August 1938 (TCO or BR observers).