A radar comparison between severe and efficient thunderstorms in north-east of iberian peninsula

In some regions, like the north-east of Iberian Peninsula, where the orography, the land-sea distribution and the low levels mean wind field lead to a very marked climate distribution, of maritime or continental tendency in a very short distance, it is easy to observe some importants differences between the convective phenomena developed in both zones.

We have observed that the classical classification of convective phenomena related to the effects on surface like heavy rain or hail, gust winds and lighnting frequency, that is, efficient convection versus severe convection, it adjust to the kind of convection climatologically associated to this zones.

Subjective analysis of radar data (PPI, CAPPI and volumetric products, like vertical profiles or echotops) it is actually of the maximum importance in the determination of the character of observed convection and for nowcasting and very short forecasting of the evolution and effects on surface.

Some selected case studies are shown here focusing in the analysis of radar imagering specially but also showing sattelite imagering and ligthning data, pointing out to the principal differences observed between both types of convection.