Observation and Real-Time Simulation of a Tornado Event in Hong Kong on 29 August 2018

An observational and simulation study of a tornado event in Hong Kong that occurred in the morning of 29 August 2018 is documented in this paper. Rotating airflow associated with the tornado is well captured by the Doppler velocity from a Terminal Doppler Weather Radar (TDWR) in Hong Kong. The Doppl...

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Main Authors: K. K. Hon, S. M. Tse, P. W. Chan, Q. S. Li
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2019-01-01
Series:Advances in Meteorology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/8571430
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author K. K. Hon
S. M. Tse
P. W. Chan
Q. S. Li
author_facet K. K. Hon
S. M. Tse
P. W. Chan
Q. S. Li
author_sort K. K. Hon
collection DOAJ
description An observational and simulation study of a tornado event in Hong Kong that occurred in the morning of 29 August 2018 is documented in this paper. Rotating airflow associated with the tornado is well captured by the Doppler velocity from a Terminal Doppler Weather Radar (TDWR) in Hong Kong. The Doppler velocity patterns show the typical signature of a velocity couplet associated with a meso/microcyclone, and for most part of its lifetime, it captures clearly the evolution with time. Weather radar echoes of those thunderstorms inducing the current tornado, as well as the meso/microcyclone itself, are also successfully reproduced in a real-time simulation by a fine-resolution numerical weather prediction (NWP) model initialised 3 hours earlier, albeit with a time lag of about 15 minutes when compared to the actual event. The model simulation displays some interesting features of the cyclone, including the vertical structure of horizontal and vertical velocities and cloud liquid water content, which are consistent with literature that accounts in other parts of the world. The vertical profile of maximum radial velocity associated with the velocity couplet also compares well between the actual weather radar observation and numerical simulation. The results in this paper could serve as an interesting reference for both meteorologists and wind engineers, also demonstrating the power of very high-resolution NWP in predicting such events in a real-time fashion.
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spelling doaj-art-d78f782d16de4e078f96f80cc9f131202025-08-20T02:20:09ZengWileyAdvances in Meteorology1687-93091687-93172019-01-01201910.1155/2019/85714308571430Observation and Real-Time Simulation of a Tornado Event in Hong Kong on 29 August 2018K. K. Hon0S. M. Tse1P. W. Chan2Q. S. Li3Hong Kong Observatory, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong KongHong Kong Observatory, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong KongHong Kong Observatory, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong KongDepartment of Architecture and Civil Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong KongAn observational and simulation study of a tornado event in Hong Kong that occurred in the morning of 29 August 2018 is documented in this paper. Rotating airflow associated with the tornado is well captured by the Doppler velocity from a Terminal Doppler Weather Radar (TDWR) in Hong Kong. The Doppler velocity patterns show the typical signature of a velocity couplet associated with a meso/microcyclone, and for most part of its lifetime, it captures clearly the evolution with time. Weather radar echoes of those thunderstorms inducing the current tornado, as well as the meso/microcyclone itself, are also successfully reproduced in a real-time simulation by a fine-resolution numerical weather prediction (NWP) model initialised 3 hours earlier, albeit with a time lag of about 15 minutes when compared to the actual event. The model simulation displays some interesting features of the cyclone, including the vertical structure of horizontal and vertical velocities and cloud liquid water content, which are consistent with literature that accounts in other parts of the world. The vertical profile of maximum radial velocity associated with the velocity couplet also compares well between the actual weather radar observation and numerical simulation. The results in this paper could serve as an interesting reference for both meteorologists and wind engineers, also demonstrating the power of very high-resolution NWP in predicting such events in a real-time fashion.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/8571430
spellingShingle K. K. Hon
S. M. Tse
P. W. Chan
Q. S. Li
Observation and Real-Time Simulation of a Tornado Event in Hong Kong on 29 August 2018
Advances in Meteorology
title Observation and Real-Time Simulation of a Tornado Event in Hong Kong on 29 August 2018
title_full Observation and Real-Time Simulation of a Tornado Event in Hong Kong on 29 August 2018
title_fullStr Observation and Real-Time Simulation of a Tornado Event in Hong Kong on 29 August 2018
title_full_unstemmed Observation and Real-Time Simulation of a Tornado Event in Hong Kong on 29 August 2018
title_short Observation and Real-Time Simulation of a Tornado Event in Hong Kong on 29 August 2018
title_sort observation and real time simulation of a tornado event in hong kong on 29 august 2018
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/8571430
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