Spatial and time distribution of thunderstorms in SOWMEX-2007

This study diagnoses the movement of thunderstorms associated with the frontal system during Southwest Monsoon Experiment (SOWMEX-2007) around Taiwan. Wind and thermal profiles crossing the stationary front system were collected from dropsondes which were launched on 42000 feet from AIDC-ASTRA jet every morning from June 5 to June 10, 2007. The lightning information came from The Vaisala total lightning detection system (TLDS) of Taiwan Power Company. During the flights day in SoWMEX-2007, the numerical simulations of Weather Research & Forecasting Model (WRF) revealed a meso-scale vortex genesis above the Middle of Taiwan Strait (called TS) in the early morning and propagated inland to Taiwan. Onshore lightning clusters approached the western coast of Taiwan. The phenomenon could be explained by the warm southwestern low-level jet and the terrain blocked effect which provide the favorite environment for meso-vortex developing accompanying wit the lightning strikes. The position mapping of intense TLDS lightning on the weather Radar echo had good relationship on the west side of Taiwan, but TLDS has system noise at south corner of Taiwan non-regularly. The third flight of ASTRA on June 7, 2007 was hit by lightning at 20000-feet height during its climb. During its cruise flight on 42000 feet height at the same day, an ice cap plume above the anvil cloud was found from the aircraft. We used WISCDYMM cloud model initiated by a nearby WRF grid profile to simulate this cloud plume. The coming field experiment, SoWMEX/TiMREX-2008, will provide more complete information on these thunderstorm evolution