Twelfth International Conference on Climate Change: Impacts & Responses

Abstract

Thunderstorm is a severe weather phenomenon which is generated from cumulonimbus (Cb) clouds. The cells of Cb clouds are arranged in a squall line which has a core region, a spreading anvil top, and an inflow-outflow region. The gradual development and decay of the thundercloud can be observed by Doppler Radar. Some images of the track of Cb clouds observed hourly by radar have been studied and analyzed in this work by the image processing technique. The hourly development of the cloud cells has been studied here so that the severity and onset of the squall-thunderstorm can be predicted. The study of the core part of the thundercloud from the radar images can reveal the water content within the cloud cells by which the amount of rainfall in the storm event can be forecasted. The decay of the squall line can also be observed by processing thundercloud images so that the duration and the severity of the thunderstorm event can be predicted. It can be found from this work that one can quickly predict the severe storm event with a lead time of approximately eight hours. People may be informed and made aware in this way, and can take precautionary measures for the hazardous thunderstorm event.