High resolution climate precipitation analysis for north-central Italy, 1961–2015

Pavan, V.; Antolini, Gabriele; Barbiero, R.; Berni, Nicola; Brunier, Fabio; Cacciamani, C.; Cagnati, Anselmo; Cazzuli, Orietta; Cicogna, A.; Luigi, Chiara De; Carlo, E. Di; Francioni, Marco; Maraldo, Luca; Marigo, Gianni; Micheletti, Stefano; Onorato, L. F.; Panettieri, Elvio; Pellegrini, U.; Pelosini, R.; Piccinini, David; Ratto, Sara; Ronchi, Christian; Rusca, Luca; Sofia, S.; Stelluti, M.; Tomozeiu, R.; Malaspina, T. Torrigiani

doi:10.1007/s00382-018-4337-6

Cited by 50 publications

(62 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…Data are interpolated using a modified Shepard scheme. A full description of the dataset can be found in Pavan et al (2019). The 24 h accumulation period follows the best practice of the Italian Hydrological Service reporting between 0800 and 0800 UTC.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Extreme precipitation events over northern Italy. Part I: A systematic classification with machine‐learning techniques

Grazzini

Craig

Keil

et al. 2019

Quart J Royal Meteoro Soc

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Extreme precipitation events (EPEs) are meteorological phenomena of major concern for society. They can have different characteristics depending on the physical mechanisms responsible for their generation, which in turn depend on the large and mesoscale conditions. This work provides a systematic classification of EPEs over northern–central Italy, one of the regions in Europe with the highest frequency of these events. The EPE statistics have been deduced using the new high‐resolution precipitation dataset ArCIS (Climatological Archive for Central–Northern Italy), that gathers together a very high number of daily, quality‐controlled and homogenized observations from different networks of 11 Italian regions. Gridded precipitation is aggregated over Italian operational warning‐area units (WA). EPEs are defined as events in which daily average precipitation in at least one of the 94 WAs exceeds the 99th percentile with respect to the climate reference 1979–2015. A list of 887 events is compiled, significantly enlarging the database compared to any previous study of EPEs. EPEs are separated into three different dynamical classes: Cat1, events mainly attributable to frontal/orographic uplift; Cat2, events due to frontal uplift with (equilibrium) deep convection embedded; Cat3, events mainly generated by non‐equilibrium deep convection. A preliminary version of this classification is based on fixed thresholds of environmental parameters, but the final version is obtained using a more robust machine‐learning unsupervised K‐means clustering and random forest algorithm. All events are characterized by anomalously high integrated water vapour transport (IVT). This confirms IVT as an important large‐scale predictor, especially for Cat2 events, which is shown to be the most important category in terms of impacts and EPE area extension. Large IVT values are caused by upper‐level waves associated with remotely triggered Rossby wave packets, as shown for two example Cat2 events.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Extreme precipitation events over northern Italy. Part I: A systematic classification with machine‐learning techniques

Grazzini

Craig

Keil

et al. 2019

Quart J Royal Meteoro Soc

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“…Currently, dense meteorological station networks are located widely throughout the Alps and highly resolved data sets for the last few decades are available (e.g., Isotta et al, ; Crespi et al, ; Pavan et al, ). For earlier periods, however, daily data availability in the southern Alps is still relatively scarce when compared to the large amount of measurements that were carried out in that area since the late 19th century.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Daily precipitation variability in the southern Alps since the late 19th century

Brugnara

Maugeri

2019

Intl Journal of Climatology

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We analysed a data set of 18 homogenized daily precipitation series from the southern European Alps, covering approximately the last 150 years. Previously available data from stations in Northern Italy have been extended considerably by recent digitization work, and, for the first time, they have been combined with daily data from Swiss stations on a centennial scale. Precipitation frequency in the southern Alps decreased significantly over the period 1890–2017. We show that this trend is related to a step‐like reduction in cyclonic weather types over central Europe that occurred around 1940. This decrease is an example of the large variability that affects precipitation in the region over many different time scales. In particular, strong trends on a decadal scale are related to the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation and the North Atlantic Oscillation, although the influence of the latter is present only in the recent decades. Trends in heavy precipitation indices do not show a coherent pattern across the study area. We find a significant increase in heavy precipitation in Switzerland, while a decrease affects the southeastern subset in spring.

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“…A high frequency of storms has been reported, particularly during the warm season, including frequent occurrence of severe events like tornadoes, hailstorms and lightning (Giaiotti et al, 2007;Pucillo et al, 2009;Manzato, 2012;Feudale and Manzato, 2014). In general the area is one of the most affected by heavy rain and thunderstorms over the whole of Europe (Isotta et al, 2014;Poelman et al, 2016;Pavan et al, 2019;Taszarek et al, 2019a). In particular, severe events have been observed and studied in the region of the Friuli Venezia Giulia (FVG) plain (Figure 1) over the last 20 years (Bechini et al, 2001;Giaiotti et al, 2001;Bertato et al, 2003;Manzato et al, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Application of a simple analytical model to severe winds produced by a bow echo like storm in northeast Italy

Pucillo

Miglietta²,

Lombardo

et al. 2019

Meteorological Applications

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A strong mesoscale convective system affected northeastern Italy on August 8, 2008. Notable damage and two casualties resulted, mainly due to the strong wind gusts. The event is analysed using observations, including surface data from a meso‐network of meteorological stations, radar reflectivity and velocity data from a C‐band Doppler radar, polar satellite images, lightning measurements from a lightning detection network and the ambient thermodynamic conditions derived from local radiosoundings. The role of the cold front is investigated; in particular, the associated strong wind descending from the Alps, which interacted with the preexisting convection in the plain, is analysed to understand the way it affected the storm development. A simple density current model is applied to describe the flow characteristics and to identify the mechanisms that could support the development of such a high wind speed. Lastly, observed wind speeds are compared with the theoretical estimates from the proposed model. The results show that different factors contribute to the very strong wind gusts registered by surface stations. The main contributor to the windstorm is a density current (a) driven by the cold front, (b) maintained by the interaction between the cold air impinging on the Friuli Venezia Giulia plain from the north and the strong regional density gradient and (c) eventually enhanced by the storm cold pool. This study highlights the complex evolution of severe storms in a region on the lee side of the Alpine chain, and emphasizes the role of the orography in the enhancement of storm.

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High resolution climate precipitation analysis for north-central Italy, 1961–2015

Cited by 50 publications

References 22 publications

Extreme precipitation events over northern Italy. Part I: A systematic classification with machine‐learning techniques

Extreme precipitation events over northern Italy. Part I: A systematic classification with machine‐learning techniques

Daily precipitation variability in the southern Alps since the late 19th century

Application of a simple analytical model to severe winds produced by a bow echo like storm in northeast Italy

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