Western disturbances and climate variability: a review of recent developments
<p>Western disturbances (WDs) are synoptic-scale weather systems embedded within the subtropical westerly jet. Manifesting as upper-level troughs often associated with a lower-tropospheric low over western or northern India, they share some dynamical features with extratropical cyclones. WDs a...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Weather and Climate Dynamics |
| Online Access: | https://wcd.copernicus.org/articles/6/43/2025/wcd-6-43-2025.pdf |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850147893783035904 |
|---|---|
| author | K. M. R. Hunt K. M. R. Hunt J.-P. Baudouin A. G. Turner A. G. Turner A. P. Dimri A. P. Dimri G. Jeelani Pooja R. Chattopadhyay R. Chattopadhyay F. Cannon T. Arulalan T. Arulalan M. S. Shekhar T. P. Sabin E. Palazzi |
| author_facet | K. M. R. Hunt K. M. R. Hunt J.-P. Baudouin A. G. Turner A. G. Turner A. P. Dimri A. P. Dimri G. Jeelani Pooja R. Chattopadhyay R. Chattopadhyay F. Cannon T. Arulalan T. Arulalan M. S. Shekhar T. P. Sabin E. Palazzi |
| author_sort | K. M. R. Hunt |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Western disturbances (WDs) are synoptic-scale weather systems embedded within the subtropical westerly jet. Manifesting as upper-level troughs often associated with a lower-tropospheric low over western or northern India, they share some dynamical features with extratropical cyclones. WDs are most common during the boreal winter (December to March), during which they bring the majority of precipitation – both rain and snow – to the western Himalaya, as well as to surrounding areas of north India, Pakistan, and the Tibetan Plateau. WDs are also associated with weather hazards such as heavy snowfall, hailstorms, fog, cloudbursts, avalanches, frost, and cold waves.</p>
<p>In this paper, we review recent developments in understanding WDs and their impacts. Over the last decade, recent studies have collectively made use of novel data, novel analysis techniques such as tracking algorithms, and the increasing availability of high-resolution weather and climate models. This review is separated into six main sections – structure and thermodynamics, precipitation and impacts, teleconnections, modelling experiments, forecasting at a range of scales, and paleoclimate and climate change – each motivated with a brief discussion of the accomplishments and limitations of previous research.</p>
<p>A number of step changes in understanding are synthesised. Use of new modelling frameworks and tracking algorithms has significantly improved knowledge of WD structure and variability, and a more frequentist approach can now be taken. Improved observation systems have helped quantification of water security over the western Himalaya. Convection-permitting models have improved our understanding of how WDs interact with the Himalaya to trigger natural hazards. Improvements in paleoclimate and future climate modelling experiments have helped to explain how WDs and their impacts over the Himalaya respond to large-scale natural and anthropogenic forcings. We end by summarising unresolved questions and outlining key future WD research topics.</p> |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-78f7feaa3d6c40e48182ffafab04056c |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2698-4016 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Weather and Climate Dynamics |
| spelling | doaj-art-78f7feaa3d6c40e48182ffafab04056c2025-08-20T02:27:24ZengCopernicus PublicationsWeather and Climate Dynamics2698-40162025-01-0164311210.5194/wcd-6-43-2025Western disturbances and climate variability: a review of recent developmentsK. M. R. Hunt0K. M. R. Hunt1J.-P. Baudouin2A. G. Turner3A. G. Turner4A. P. Dimri5A. P. Dimri6G. Jeelani7Pooja8R. Chattopadhyay9R. Chattopadhyay10F. Cannon11T. Arulalan12T. Arulalan13M. S. Shekhar14T. P. Sabin15E. Palazzi16Department of Meteorology, University of Reading, Reading, UKNational Centre for Atmospheric Sciences, University of Reading, Reading UKDepartment of Geosciences, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, GermanyDepartment of Meteorology, University of Reading, Reading, UKNational Centre for Atmospheric Sciences, University of Reading, Reading UKSchool of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, IndiaIndian Institute of Geomagnetism, Mumbai, IndiaDepartment of Earth Sciences, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, IndiaSchool of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, IndiaIndia Meteorological Department, Ministry of Earth Sciences, New Delhi, IndiaIndian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune, IndiaScripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, USAIndia Meteorological Department, Ministry of Earth Sciences, New Delhi, IndiaCentre for Atmospheric Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, IndiaDefence Geoinformatics Research Establishment, Chandigarh, IndiaIndian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune, IndiaDepartment of Physics, University of Turin, Turin, Italy<p>Western disturbances (WDs) are synoptic-scale weather systems embedded within the subtropical westerly jet. Manifesting as upper-level troughs often associated with a lower-tropospheric low over western or northern India, they share some dynamical features with extratropical cyclones. WDs are most common during the boreal winter (December to March), during which they bring the majority of precipitation – both rain and snow – to the western Himalaya, as well as to surrounding areas of north India, Pakistan, and the Tibetan Plateau. WDs are also associated with weather hazards such as heavy snowfall, hailstorms, fog, cloudbursts, avalanches, frost, and cold waves.</p> <p>In this paper, we review recent developments in understanding WDs and their impacts. Over the last decade, recent studies have collectively made use of novel data, novel analysis techniques such as tracking algorithms, and the increasing availability of high-resolution weather and climate models. This review is separated into six main sections – structure and thermodynamics, precipitation and impacts, teleconnections, modelling experiments, forecasting at a range of scales, and paleoclimate and climate change – each motivated with a brief discussion of the accomplishments and limitations of previous research.</p> <p>A number of step changes in understanding are synthesised. Use of new modelling frameworks and tracking algorithms has significantly improved knowledge of WD structure and variability, and a more frequentist approach can now be taken. Improved observation systems have helped quantification of water security over the western Himalaya. Convection-permitting models have improved our understanding of how WDs interact with the Himalaya to trigger natural hazards. Improvements in paleoclimate and future climate modelling experiments have helped to explain how WDs and their impacts over the Himalaya respond to large-scale natural and anthropogenic forcings. We end by summarising unresolved questions and outlining key future WD research topics.</p>https://wcd.copernicus.org/articles/6/43/2025/wcd-6-43-2025.pdf |
| spellingShingle | K. M. R. Hunt K. M. R. Hunt J.-P. Baudouin A. G. Turner A. G. Turner A. P. Dimri A. P. Dimri G. Jeelani Pooja R. Chattopadhyay R. Chattopadhyay F. Cannon T. Arulalan T. Arulalan M. S. Shekhar T. P. Sabin E. Palazzi Western disturbances and climate variability: a review of recent developments Weather and Climate Dynamics |
| title | Western disturbances and climate variability: a review of recent developments |
| title_full | Western disturbances and climate variability: a review of recent developments |
| title_fullStr | Western disturbances and climate variability: a review of recent developments |
| title_full_unstemmed | Western disturbances and climate variability: a review of recent developments |
| title_short | Western disturbances and climate variability: a review of recent developments |
| title_sort | western disturbances and climate variability a review of recent developments |
| url | https://wcd.copernicus.org/articles/6/43/2025/wcd-6-43-2025.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kmrhunt westerndisturbancesandclimatevariabilityareviewofrecentdevelopments AT kmrhunt westerndisturbancesandclimatevariabilityareviewofrecentdevelopments AT jpbaudouin westerndisturbancesandclimatevariabilityareviewofrecentdevelopments AT agturner westerndisturbancesandclimatevariabilityareviewofrecentdevelopments AT agturner westerndisturbancesandclimatevariabilityareviewofrecentdevelopments AT apdimri westerndisturbancesandclimatevariabilityareviewofrecentdevelopments AT apdimri westerndisturbancesandclimatevariabilityareviewofrecentdevelopments AT gjeelani westerndisturbancesandclimatevariabilityareviewofrecentdevelopments AT pooja westerndisturbancesandclimatevariabilityareviewofrecentdevelopments AT rchattopadhyay westerndisturbancesandclimatevariabilityareviewofrecentdevelopments AT rchattopadhyay westerndisturbancesandclimatevariabilityareviewofrecentdevelopments AT fcannon westerndisturbancesandclimatevariabilityareviewofrecentdevelopments AT tarulalan westerndisturbancesandclimatevariabilityareviewofrecentdevelopments AT tarulalan westerndisturbancesandclimatevariabilityareviewofrecentdevelopments AT msshekhar westerndisturbancesandclimatevariabilityareviewofrecentdevelopments AT tpsabin westerndisturbancesandclimatevariabilityareviewofrecentdevelopments AT epalazzi westerndisturbancesandclimatevariabilityareviewofrecentdevelopments |