Preliminary results of convective storm initiation and evolution during TOMACS: Observational perspective

During the warm season over the Kanto Plain of Japan, strong isolated thunderstorms are often responsible for flooding and other rainfall-related hazards. Forecasting of quantitative precipitation associated with these mesoscale systems is known to be an important challenge. Accurate prediction of precipitation and its distribution from isolated thunderstorms in turn depends on the predictability of timing, location of convective initiation and the subsequent evolution of these thunderstorms. The Tokyo Metropolitan Area Convection Study (TOMACS) has been designed for better understanding of various mesoscale mechanisms over the Kanto Plain. High-resolution observations of the boundary layer were obtained over the Kanto Plain during the TOMACS field experiment 2011. In this paper, preliminary results of convective initiation and evolution case studies during the TOMACS will be described.