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The Particularity of the Warm Rain in Catalonia

Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Warm rain events are a type of precipitation episode that is common almost everywhere around the world, except in the coldest polar regions. When these episodes occur in an air mass characterized by very moist air and elevated precipitable water, they can produce substantial rainfall amounts with high rainfall rates and sometimes result in flash floods. Catalonia (northeast of the Mediterranean coast of the Iberian Peninsula) is not an exception, and it is affected by these types of episodes, which every year are responsible for local flash floods. About 70% of cases exceeding 10 mm of daily precipitation with fewer than 10 cloud-to-ground flashes are considered warm rain. Even though the synoptic and mesoscale frames, as well as the vertical thermodynamic profile where warm rain occurs, are quite unknown. Therefore, the purpose of our research was to determine the most favorable meteorological conditions that favor heavy warm rain episodes. During the initial analysis, made be-tween 2006 and 2009, we found out that warm rain events occur mainly at coast of Cata-lonia, during the warmest period of the year, after the pass of a cold front, with local wind convergences, and with a particular vertical thermodynamic profile; moreover, the con-vective cloud where this rain develops isn’t deep and produce no or few lightning flashes. However, after years of studying new episodes with different configurations, we realized that the main occurrence factor coincides with a particular vertical thermodynamic profile. This manuscript presents how our knowledge has changed and improved over the years. Furthermore, the paper explains the circumstances that have led to a change in our viewpoint.
Source: Atmosphere
DOI: 10.3390/atmos17040404
Language: English
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,896
OpenAlex ID: W7154625295
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