A Mediterranean nocturnal heavy rainfall and tornadic event. Part I: Overview, damage survey and radar analysis

Tornadoes and waterspouts in Catalonia (1950–2009)

“…Consequently, these images do not allow direct recognition of supercellular signatures in those thunderstorms that generated tornadoes or waterspouts. Only a few hints in a few cases have been identified (Bech et al, 2007(Bech et al, , 2011, showing that the vortex was associated with a multicellular storm, an observation corroborated by the visual analysis of other events. This would indicate that most of the tornadoes were generated by non-supercell storms.…”

Numerical modelling of heavy precipitation events over Eastern Pyrenees: Analysis of orographic effects

“…This event generated intense convective activity and produced strong surface damages close to Salou ( Fig. 1) because of thunderstorm derived wind gusts, an F2 tornado, a microburst, hail and heavy rain as reported in Bech et al (2011), which provided a detailed damage survey and radar analysis of the thunderstorms. Later that day the quasi-stationary frontal system affected the SE France generating very intense convective activity with rainfall amounts reaching 365 mm in 24 h (see Vié et al, 2011).…”

“…Previously, in Alpert (1986) the two-dimensional form of this index was used for the prediction of upslope heavy orographic precipitation. More recently Witcraft et al (2005) applied the OMF index for predicting the high resolution precipitation distribution during a tropical cyclone passage over Taiwan, and Bech et al (2011) also used it with low resolution global data to examine one of the events which is analysed here in more detail and higher resolution.…”

Sounding‐derived parameters associated with tornadic storms in Catalonia

“…(), and Bech et al . (, ). Tornadoes usually occur near the Mediterranean coast, where most of the population of Catalonia live.…”