MESOSCALE CONVECTIVE SYSTEM

written by ZAMG

WEATHER EVENTS

Cb cloudiness is connected with heavy rain showers, thunderstorms and often even hail showers. The most intensive weather activities can be found within the maturing stage of development, which can be found in the case of a multi-cell storm in the centre of the convective complex (compare meteorological physical background).
As a consequence of the outflowing air of the downdraft in the maturing stage (compare meteorological physical background), the area around the MCS is characterized by a pronounced squall line.
In the dissipating stage the pronounced rain showers are changing into a light to moderate rainfall. There will be no thunderstorm activity anymore.
MCSs are often accompanied by severe wind gusts and downbursts, and in some cases by small tornadoes.

5 June 1998/15 UTC - IR image; symbols: weather events (green: rain and showers, blue: drizzle, cyan: snow, purple: freezing rain, red: thunderstorm with precipitation, orange: hail, black: no actual precipitation or thunderstorm with precipitation)

The image shows within the area of the MCSs above Austria (approximately 46°N/13°E) and south Germany (approximately 47°N/12°E) a large area where thunderstorms are reported.

5 June 1998/18 UTC - IR image; symbols: sferics

The image shows within the area of the MCSs a lot of lightning activity. The active lightning part of the MCSs (yellow symbols are the latest measurements of sferics) can be found in the centre of the system (mother cell) (compare meteorological physical background).

HELP - I AM LOST

MAIN MENU OF THE MANUAL

SUB-MENU OF THE MESOSCALE CONVECTIVE SYSTEM

THIRD SUB-CHAPTER - KEY PARAMETERS

FIFTH SUB-CHAPTER - TYPICAL APPEARANCE IN VERTICAL CROSS SECTION