It seems that this year we are witnessing more frequent and stronger storms in our region than in previous years. Why is this year different from previous years?
Source: 24sata.hr/printscreen
As Andrej Velkavrh from the Slovenian Environmental Agency (ARSO) explains, the reasons are a strong heat wave over the Mediterranean and southern Europe while colder and wetter air flows across the Atlantic towards central Europe and the Alps.
“And the border between these waves goes right across the Alps. And due to differences in air pressure, also in altitude, there are relatively strong westerly air currents. At the border, when the atmosphere overheats over northern Italy, i.e. on the southern side of the Alps, and at the same time in the heights above the Atlantic there is a little colder air in the higher layers, then such strong storm systems are formed, either over southern Switzerland or over northern Italy. Then they travel towards us with this western air current, with an average speed of 70 to 80 kilometers per hour,” explains Velkavrh, reports N1.
Since these are developed storm systems and have a high speed, they bring such strong gusts of wind to larger areas and reach northern Italy, southern Austria, Slovenia, northern Croatia and beyond. “These are processes of larger dimensions, they are not just local storms, which we witnessed more and more often in the past, this year it is a pattern that simply does not change”, he explains.
Storm processes will continue for another seven days or longer
According to Velkavrh, the heat in the southern Mediterranean should continue, and at the same time these shipments of cooler Atlantic air manage to make their way all the way to the Alps or a little further.
“And then there is the greatest risk of storms. But we are currently in this area,” says Velkavrh. He expects such processes, which have now dragged on for two weeks, to continue for at least another week or more.
“If the heat moved further north, the storms would mostly form somewhere over Germany or Poland, but because the location of this boundary between the two masses (the polar front – the boundary between the subtropical and subpolar air masses) is somewhere over the Alps, this is here,” he explains.
He also points out that this year there are actually many storms that we “import”, because some started in the south-east of France or in Switzerland, and reached us via northern Italy. They brought the most destructive gusts of wind.
As Velkavrh adds, local storms are more problematic in terms of showers and hail, and storms that travel very quickly bring higher air speeds, which they push in front of them with their speed and precipitation. They are also very persistent and do not break down as quickly.
“Therefore, even if the storm subsides, the trachea can still travel. About a hundred kilometers before the storm itself, which may have disappeared. There is plenty of that this year,” he concludes.
(World)