A Dynamical Perspective of the Extreme Rainfall Event Over Eastern Northeast Brazil in May 2022

ABSTRACT This study investigated how the extreme rainfall event over eastern Northeast Brazil (ENEB), occurring at the end of May 2022, was induced dynamically using observational and reanalysis data. On a monthly time scale, a wet‐spell condition was found over the ENEB region in May 2022, indicate...

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Main Authors: Shunya Koseki, Isabelle Vilela, Doris Veleda
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-05-01
Series:Meteorological Applications
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/met.70046
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author Shunya Koseki
Isabelle Vilela
Doris Veleda
author_facet Shunya Koseki
Isabelle Vilela
Doris Veleda
author_sort Shunya Koseki
collection DOAJ
description ABSTRACT This study investigated how the extreme rainfall event over eastern Northeast Brazil (ENEB), occurring at the end of May 2022, was induced dynamically using observational and reanalysis data. On a monthly time scale, a wet‐spell condition was found over the ENEB region in May 2022, indicated by enhanced onshore‐ward moisture flux and a widely spreading positive precipitation anomaly. At a shorter time scale, the ENEB region experienced continually intense rainy days from May 21st to 28th peaking on May 28th. Focusing on the most intense rainfall event on May 28th, a shallow vortex disturbance of a tropical easterly wave can be responsible for this intense event. This easterly wave is initiated over the south tropical Atlantic adjacent to the ENEB region, and we suggest that a strong zonal wind shear zone associated with a synoptic‐scale high‐pressure system generates the vortex as barotropic instability. Even though the vortex center did not make a landfall over the ENEB region, a part of the vortex band is elongated along the coastal line of the ENEB region and the vorticity and moisture flux convergence intensify drastically over the coastal ENEB region. Reinforced fluid deformation along the coastal line indicates the extension and intensification of the vortex band. The coastal enhancement of vorticity, convergence, and deformation can be interactive, and the sea‐land contrast may cause the enhancements due to surface condition change. This study provides a new dynamical insight into the intense precipitation over the ENEB region.
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spelling doaj-art-992f7fddc0e34e89b0213279f4514db82025-08-20T03:58:40ZengWileyMeteorological Applications1350-48271469-80802025-05-01323n/an/a10.1002/met.70046A Dynamical Perspective of the Extreme Rainfall Event Over Eastern Northeast Brazil in May 2022Shunya Koseki0Isabelle Vilela1Doris Veleda2Geophysical Institute, University of Bergen/Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research Bergen NorwayLaboratory of Physical, Coastal and Estuarine Oceanography, Department of Oceanography, Federal University of Pernambuco Recife Pernambuco BrazilLaboratory of Physical, Coastal and Estuarine Oceanography, Department of Oceanography, Federal University of Pernambuco Recife Pernambuco BrazilABSTRACT This study investigated how the extreme rainfall event over eastern Northeast Brazil (ENEB), occurring at the end of May 2022, was induced dynamically using observational and reanalysis data. On a monthly time scale, a wet‐spell condition was found over the ENEB region in May 2022, indicated by enhanced onshore‐ward moisture flux and a widely spreading positive precipitation anomaly. At a shorter time scale, the ENEB region experienced continually intense rainy days from May 21st to 28th peaking on May 28th. Focusing on the most intense rainfall event on May 28th, a shallow vortex disturbance of a tropical easterly wave can be responsible for this intense event. This easterly wave is initiated over the south tropical Atlantic adjacent to the ENEB region, and we suggest that a strong zonal wind shear zone associated with a synoptic‐scale high‐pressure system generates the vortex as barotropic instability. Even though the vortex center did not make a landfall over the ENEB region, a part of the vortex band is elongated along the coastal line of the ENEB region and the vorticity and moisture flux convergence intensify drastically over the coastal ENEB region. Reinforced fluid deformation along the coastal line indicates the extension and intensification of the vortex band. The coastal enhancement of vorticity, convergence, and deformation can be interactive, and the sea‐land contrast may cause the enhancements due to surface condition change. This study provides a new dynamical insight into the intense precipitation over the ENEB region.https://doi.org/10.1002/met.70046extreme rainfallNortheast Brazilpre‐warningtropical easterly waveweather extreme
spellingShingle Shunya Koseki
Isabelle Vilela
Doris Veleda
A Dynamical Perspective of the Extreme Rainfall Event Over Eastern Northeast Brazil in May 2022
Meteorological Applications
extreme rainfall
Northeast Brazil
pre‐warning
tropical easterly wave
weather extreme
title A Dynamical Perspective of the Extreme Rainfall Event Over Eastern Northeast Brazil in May 2022
title_full A Dynamical Perspective of the Extreme Rainfall Event Over Eastern Northeast Brazil in May 2022
title_fullStr A Dynamical Perspective of the Extreme Rainfall Event Over Eastern Northeast Brazil in May 2022
title_full_unstemmed A Dynamical Perspective of the Extreme Rainfall Event Over Eastern Northeast Brazil in May 2022
title_short A Dynamical Perspective of the Extreme Rainfall Event Over Eastern Northeast Brazil in May 2022
title_sort dynamical perspective of the extreme rainfall event over eastern northeast brazil in may 2022
topic extreme rainfall
Northeast Brazil
pre‐warning
tropical easterly wave
weather extreme
url https://doi.org/10.1002/met.70046
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