Extreme precipitation on the Island of Madeira on 20 February 2010 as seen by satellite passive microwave sounders

Extreme rainfall on the Island of Madeira on 20 February 2010 triggered flash floods and mudslides with 45 casualties, 8 missing people, and 100 injured. The NE-moving frontal system originating from a low-pressure center in the Madeira Archipelago is not unusual for the area, but its consequences o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European journal of remote sensing 2013-01, Vol.46 (1), p.475-489
Main Authors: Levizzani, Vincenzo, Laviola, Sante, Cattani, Elsa, Costa, Maria João
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Archipelagoes
Casualties
Classification
Cloud classification
Convection
Convective precipitation
Extreme weather
Flash floods
flood
Heavy rainfall
Low pressure
Madeira
Mathematical models
microwave radiometry
Mountains
Mudflows
Mudslides
Numerical models
Precipitation
Rainfall
Rainfall intensity
remote sensing
Satellite
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Summary:Extreme rainfall on the Island of Madeira on 20 February 2010 triggered flash floods and mudslides with 45 casualties, 8 missing people, and 100 injured. The NE-moving frontal system originating from a low-pressure center in the Madeira Archipelago is not unusual for the area, but its consequences on the island were rather extreme. The study dwells on passive microwave sounders from polar orbiters for the retrieval of rainfall intensity and cloud classification. Heavy rainfall was generated by severe local convection and enhanced over the central mountain chain. Physical cloud classification identifies the shallow convective precipitation type lasting for a few hours around noon and the observations confirm the numerical model results.
ISSN:2279-7254
2279-7254
DOI:10.5721/EuJRS20134628