MESOSCALE CONVECTIVE SYSTEMS IN MEXICO DURING 96–98

A survey of Mesoscale Convective Systems (MCSs) in Mexico using satellite imagery is presented. During the period of study 1086 MCSs were observed. MCSs occur mainly in summer months and in mexican coastal zones. Most of them are small, short-lived, initiating near sunset, finishing near midnight, and moving from the east, specially in summer months. In other seasons they tend to be longer-lived, and moving from variable directions, specially westerly. They develop mainly in the mexican Pacific Coast and Bay of Campeche. The average lifetime is seven hours.