Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => The Environment => Topic started by: dentstudent on 28/01/2009 08:35:41

Title: Did you hear anything about the recent storm?
Post by: dentstudent on 28/01/2009 08:35:41

Perhaps I'm just out of the loop, but there was a ferocious storm over southern France, Spain and Italy over the last few days. Here is the track of the storm "Klaus".

(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi198.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Faa155%2FDentstudent%2F624px-Klaus_storm_track_-_20090124_.png&hash=605695e48a95770e2464540362ee6003)

Anyone know anything about it?

Title: Did you hear anything about the recent storm?
Post by: LeeE on 28/01/2009 11:44:25

I don't recall hearing anything about it (on Radio 4) but it seems to be very fast moving.

Title: Did you hear anything about the recent storm?
Post by: paul.fr on 28/01/2009 12:20:05

You are refering to Windstorm Klaus (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/January_2009_Bay_of_Biscay_storm). The wiki link needs updating as I believe the death toll has risen by about 15.

Title: Did you hear anything about the recent storm?
Post by: Mazurka on 28/01/2009 14:12:55

Some good analysis, charts etc at http://www.ukweatherworld.co.uk/

Title: Did you hear anything about the recent storm?
Post by: dentstudent on 28/01/2009 14:35:00

Thanks for the info, guys.

There is talk of something called a "Sting Jet". Any takers on what that is?

Title: Did you hear anything about the recent storm?
Post by: dentstudent on 28/01/2009 14:47:05

So there's this:

A sting jet is a meteorological phenomenon which is believed to be the cause of the most damaging winds in European windstorms.

Following reanalysis of the Great Storm of 1987, led by Professor Keith Browning at the University of Reading, researchers identified a mesoscale flow where the most damaging winds were shown to be emanating from the evaporating tip of the hooked cloud head on the southern flank of the cyclone. This cloud, hooked like a scorpion's tail, gives the wind region its name the "Sting Jet".[1]

It is thought that a zone of strong winds, originating from within the mid-tropospheric cloud head of an explosively deepening depression, are enhanced further as the "jet" descends, drying out and evaporating a clear path through snow and ice particles. The evaporative cooling leading to the air within the jet becoming denser, leading to an acceleration of the downward flow towards the tip of the cloud head when it begins to hook around the cyclone centre. Windspeeds in excess of 80 kn (150 km/h) can be associated with the Sting jet.[2]

It has since been reproduced in high-resolution runs with the mesoscale version of the Unified Model. The Sting jet is distinct from the usual strong-wind region associated with the warm conveyor belt and main cold front. There are indications that conditional symmetric instability also plays a role in its formation but the importance of these processes remains to be quantified.[3]

Not sure that I'm any the wiser though!