Classification of large-scale environments that drive the formation  of mesoscale convective systems over southern West Africa

Nkrumah, Francis; Klein, Cornelia; Quagraine, Kwesi Akumenyi; Berkoh-Oforiwaa, Rebecca; Klutse, Nana Ama Browne; Essien, Patrick; Quenum, Gandomè Mayeul Leger Davy; Koffi, Hubert Azoda

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-4-773-2023

Articles | Volume 4, issue 3

https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-4-773-2023

© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-4-773-2023

© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 4, issue 3

Research article

|

06 Sep 2023

Research article |

| 06 Sep 2023

Classification of large-scale environments that drive the formation of mesoscale convective systems over southern West Africa

Francis Nkrumah, Cornelia Klein, Kwesi Akumenyi Quagraine, Rebecca Berkoh-Oforiwaa, Nana Ama Browne Klutse, Patrick Essien, Gandomè Mayeul Leger Davy Quenum, and Hubert Azoda Koffi

Supplement

https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-4-773-2023-supplement

Data sets

Classification Of Large-Scale Environments That Drive The Formation Of Mesoscale Convective Systems Over Southern West Africa Francis Nkrumah1, Cornelia Klein, Kwesi Akumenyi Quagraine, Rebecca Berkoh Oforiwaa, Nana Ama Browne Klutse, Patrick Essien, Gandomè Mayeul Leger Davy Quenum, and Hubert Azoda Koffi https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8192395

ERA5 hourly data on pressure levels from 1940 to present H. Hersbach, B. Bell, P. Berrisford, G. Biavati, A. Horányi, J. Muñoz Sabater, J. Nicolas, C. Peubey, R. Radu, I. Rozum, D. Schepers, A. Simmons, C. Soci, D. Dee, and J.-N. Thépaut https://doi.org/10.24381/cds.bd0915c6

High Rate SEVIRI Level 1.5 Image Data - MSG - 0 degree EUMETSAT https://navigator.eumetsat.int/product/EO:EUM:DAT:0156

Short summary

It is not yet clear which variations in broader atmospheric conditions of the West African monsoon may lead to mesoscale convective system (MCS) occurrences in southern West Africa (SWA). In this study, we identified nine different weather patterns and categorized them as dry-, transition-, or monsoon-season types using a method called self-organizing maps (SOMs). It was revealed that a warmer Sahel region can create favourable conditions for MCS formation in SWA.