Tropical Cyclone Lightning and Rapid Intensity Change

Abstract

A large sample of Atlantic and eastern North Pacific tropical cyclone cases is used to investigate the relationships between lightning activity and intensity changes for storms over water. The lightning data are obtained from the ground-based World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN). The results generally confirm those from previous studies: the average lightning density (strikes per unit area and time) decreases with radius from the storm center; tropical storms tend to have more lightning than hurricanes; intensifying storms tend to have greater lightning density than weakening cyclones; and the lightning density for individual cyclones is very episodic. Results also show that Atlantic tropical cyclones tend to have greater lightning density than east Pacific storms. The largest lightning density values are associated with sheared cyclones that do not intensify very much. The results also show that when the lightning density is compared with intensity change in the subsequent 24 h, Atlantic cyclones that rapidly weaken have a larger inner-core (0-100 km) lightning density than those that rapidly intensify. Thus, large inner-core lightning outbreaks are sometimes a signal that an intensification period is coming to an end. Conversely, the lightning density in the rainband regions (200-300 km) is higher for those cyclones that rapidly intensified in the following 24 h in both the Atlantic and east Pacific. When lightning density parameters are used as input to a discriminant analysis technique, results show that lightning information has the potential to improve the short-term prediction of tropical cyclone rapid intensity changes.

Seasonal, Monthly, and Weekly Distributions of NLDN and GLD360 Cloud-to-Ground Lightning

“…Tropical cyclones and hurricanes occasionally produce lightning in bands or clusters along the coast of Florida, the Gulf Coast, and southeastern states during summer into autumn (DeMaria et al 2012). However, such tropical systems do not occur in the same location or time, so they have no effect on the long-term climatology shown here.…”

Evaluating ENTLN performance relative to TRMM/LIS

“…This knowledge has been used to develop a lightning jump algorithm that provides early warning of severe weather events (Schultz et al 2009(Schultz et al , 2011Gatlin and Goodman 2010). Lightning data also have been used to refine satellite precipitation estimates (Xu et al 2013(Xu et al , 2014, improve hurricane intensity forecasts (DeMaria et al 2012), and provide initial conditions for weather forecasting models (Fierro et al 2012). Lightning observations have additional public safety applications related to airport operations, recreational activities, and sporting venues.…”

Understanding the Relationships between Lightning, Cloud Microphysics, and Airborne Radar-Derived Storm Structure during Hurricane Karl (2010)

“…In the idealized TC modeled by Fierro et al (2007), the greatest total lightning [cloud to ground (CG) and intracloud (IC)] flash rates occurred in the eyewall, where stronger updrafts produced a favorable charging environment. Many recent TC lightning studies (including but not limited to Lyons and Keen 1994;Samsury and Orville 1994;Molinari et al 1994Molinari et al , 1999Shao et al 2005;Squires and Businger 2008;Price et al 2009;Austin and Fuelberg 2010;Cecil et al 2010;Demetriades et al 2010b;DeMaria et al 2011;Fierro et al 2011) have examined relationships between TC electrification and changes in storm intensity. The results of these studies have been mixed.…”