This session will welcome all technical and scientific contributions devoted to increasing our understanding of atmospheric phenomena that might represent a hazard for people, property and the environment. Studies which enhance physical understanding of severe weather phenomena (for example deep convection or intense straight lines winds) are of particular interest even if the severe weather phenomena is not linked directly to a specific hazard.
In line with the EMS 2017 meeting theme “Serving Society with better Weather and Climate Information”, we would encourage potential contributors to direct their attention not only to the physical and meteorological characteristics of atmospheric hazards, but also to their connection and impact on human activities and the environment, underlining in this way the aspects that make an atmospheric phenomenon a hazard.
Contributions dealing with studies of specific episodes (case studies) will be welcome, provided they are relevant, further increase physical understanding, and are representative at least for the area where these events took place.
As understanding of weather phenomena is often augmented by numerical modelling experiments, contributions incorporating both numerical and conceptual modelling will be particularly welcome, provided that the modelling is used to further understanding rather than solely as a forecasting technique.
In general we will encourage the exchange of expertise and experiences related to the various topics connected to hazardous atmospheric phenomena and severe weather events. For this reason an interdisciplinary approach will be particularly welcome.
Potential topics, although not an exhaustive list, for this session include:
• Flash-floods and heavy rain events;
• Hail;
• Freezing rain, icing and intense snow falls;
• Cold/heat events, even those occurring at small time scales;
• Fog;
• Tornadoes, waterspouts, derechos and downbursts;
• Severe wind storms;
• Intense Mediterranean cyclones;
• Tropical like cyclones;
• Lightning;
• Polar lows, their evolution and impacts;
• Severe katabatic or foehn winds;
• Gap and orographic flows;
• Breaking of gravity waves, as well as severe turbulence;
The above-listed topics are of course not exclusive and the session’s Conveners eagerly anticipate papers on new ideas and approaches and novel understanding covering all aspects of atmospheric hazards and severe weather events.