Observation and numerical simulation of a weak waterspout at Hong Kong International Airport

Abstract

A weak waterspout was observed at the Hong Kong International Airport on the morning of June 8, 2020. This paper documents the meteorological observations of this weak system, which was well captured by surface wind sensors and a Doppler weather radar, and this study also investigated the capability of a high‐resolution numerical weather prediction model to simulate the system in a near real‐time configuration. Despite the short‐lived nature of the vortex, the model effectively reproduced the occurrence of a weak vortex around the time the system was observed, although with positional errors of the order of a few kilometres. The simulated vertical cross‐sections of the reflectivity and Doppler velocity were consistent with the actual radar observations and reflected the slanting nature of the micro‐vortex. These results may serve as a useful reference for the study of weak waterspouts worldwide.

Analysis and numerical simulation of a supercell tornado at the Hong Kong adjacent waters

“…Previous studies in the same region have demonstrated the technical possibility of predicting the convective storm cell or mesoscale/microscale rotation associated with an observed tornado or waterspout with a lead time of up to a couple hours (Chan et al, 2021; Hon et al, 2019, 2021). In these cases, the model employed was a 200‐m resolution WRF configuration (Chan & Hon, 2016; Hon, 2020), which, while being able to reproduce many observed fine‐scale airflow features, had a relatively small forecast domain (581 × 581 horizontal grid points covering an area of about 112 × 112 km 2 around Hong Kong) and short forecast range (up to 6–9 h).…”

Observational analysis of a waterspout sighted in Macao, China, on 1 June 2021

“…Chan et al (2020) analysed data from a single radar and compared it with numerical models to study the evolution and structure of a waterspout-producing storm exhibiting a mesocyclone. Hon et al (2021) studied the ability of numerical simulations to predict waterspouts by comparing simulated and observed radar data from a storm producing a weak waterspout near Hong Kong airport. Chan finding similar mechanisms to those found in Wakimoto and Lew (1993), Brady and Szoke (1989), Miglietta (2019) and others.…”

“…Hon et al . (2021) studied the ability of numerical simulations to predict waterspouts by comparing simulated and observed radar data from a storm producing a weak waterspout near Hong Kong airport. Chan et al .…”