Climatic diagnostics associated with anomalous lightning incidence during the summer 2012/2013 in Southeast Brazil

Author(s)

Paes dos Santos, Ana Paula ^[1] ; Coelho, Caio A. S. ^[1] ; Pinto Junior, Osmar ^[1] ; Quadros dos Santos, Sergio Rodrigo ^[1] ; Lopes de Lima, Francisco Jose ^[1] ; de Souza, Everaldo Barreiros ^[2]

Affiliation

^[1] Natl Inst Space Res, Sao Jose Dos Campos, SP - Brazil

^[2] Vale Inst Technol, Belem, Para - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLIMATOLOGY; v. 38, n. 2, p. 996-1009, FEB 2018.
• Web of Science Citations: 4

Abstract

The State of SAo Paulo in Southeast Brazil experienced during the 2012/2013 summer one of the most severe electrical storm events in recent years, causing various impacts to society, e.g. fires and fatalities. Thus, the objective of this work is to understand which mechanisms and climatic variability modes are associated with the lightning incidence during this summer in this region. The study includes a statistical-temporal assessment of cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning occurrence comprising the 16 years period from 1999 to 2014. The results showed that, for this period of analysis, the lightning incidence was associated with climatic patterns connecting the tropical and extratropical region, through a wave train, from the Indian Ocean to South America, favouring the formation and development of convective storms over Southeast Brazil. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 15/50687-8 - Climate services through knowledge co-production: a Euro-South American initiative for strengthening societal adaptation response to extreme events
• Grantee: Iracema Fonseca de Albuquerque Cavalcanti
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 13/09557-8 - Extreme lightning events in São Paulo: Cases observed and future scenarios
• Grantee: Ana Paula Paes dos Santos
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate