GSP Vol IV MET
GSP Vol IV MET
Introduction V
1 The Atmosphere and Atmospheric Pressure 1
2 Heat and Temperature 14
3 Water in the Atmosphere 26
4 Air Density 33
5 Lapse Rates, Stability and Instability 40
6 Clouds and Precipitation 54
7 Thunderstorms 75
8 Visibility and Fog 85
9 Icing 99
10 Winds 114
11 Air Masses 137
12 Low Pressure Systems and Fronts 144
13 Non-frontal Depressions 161
14 Anticyclones and Cols 165
15 Climatology 171
16 Interpretation of Satellite Images 218
17 Organisation, Observations, Reports and Forecasts 227
Appendix 247
Answers to Multi-choice Test Questions 258
Glossary of Abbreviations 259
Index 262
I:
Composition
Up to the maximum altitudes at which civil and military aircraft are normally
operated, the atmosphere is made up of a uniform mixture of gaseswhich we call
air. It is an important property of the atmosphere that this mixture of dry air can
be assumed to be constant in its composition. With the dry air is mixed a variable
amount of water vapour to give moist air. It does not matter whether the aircraft
is flying at 2000 feet or 20000 feet, in east or west longitudes, in the Northern or
Southern Hemisphere -the same mixture of gases is affecting the crew, the
passengers, the wings, the engines, the pressurisation and air conditioning
systems and so on.
Essentially the properties of the air are those of the gases of which it is
comprised -invisible, odourless, no taste, etc., so what are the main gasesin the
mixture? The proportions expressedby volume are:
nitrogen 78%
oxygen 21%
argon 0.93%
carbon dioxide 0.03%
with traces of other gases including ozone, carbon monoxide, the inert gases
neon, helium, etc. The dominant gases are therefore nitrogen and oxygen.
Incidentally, if you see an analysis of dry air by weight, it will show an
approximately 3: I ratio of nitrogen to oxygen -but you will remember from
school that the molecular weight of oxygen (32) is greater than that of nitrogen
(28).
Although for the purpose of the mathematical laws which have to be used in
considering the behaviour of the atmosphere it is convenient to assume dry air ,
in reality there is invariably some water vapour present. Water vapour is also a
gas which is invisible, odourless, without taste, etc., but only tive-eighths the
weight of dry air of a comparable temperature and pressure. The evaporation
process which adds this water vapour to the atmosphere will be considered as we
progress through the following chapters. Even more important to pilots,
however, is the reverse process by which the invisible water vapour condenses
out to a liquid or solid state. In this way, cloud, fog and mist, precipitation, frost
2 METEOROLOGY
and ice on aircraft are formed, so this process must be considered in detail.
The mix of water vapour with dry air to give moist air is, however, not the end
of the story as far as the mix of the atmosphere is concerned. It will be necessary
to consider solid pollutants which enter the air and may remain in suspension for
long periods. Such pollutants are smoke particles from forest fIfes or man-made
processesof burning fossil fuels, dust blown up by the wind and even, at low
level, salt spray blown up off the open water.
Temperature structure
The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has specified the
conditions which aviation uses for a standard atmosphere of dry air (we will
come to the units used shortly). The defined conditions of the International
Standard Atmosphere (ISA) are:
1. At mean sea level (msl):
Pressure 1013.25 millibars (hectopascals)
Temperature + 15C
Density 1225grams/cubic metre (0.001225 grams/cubic centimetre)
2. Above mean sea level (am si):
(a) Temperature decreases6.5 Cdeg/km(1.98 Cdeg/l000ft)up to 11 km
(36090 ft) where it is -56.5C.
(b) From 11 km to 20 km (65617 ft) temperature remains constant at
-56.5C.
(c) From 20 km to 32 km (104987 ft) temperature increases by 1 C deg/
km (0.3 C deg/l000 ft).
In fact these values are not very far removed from the average conditions of
temperate latitudes. As will be shown later, it is only necessary to specify the
temperature conditions above mean sea level. Given the standard mean sealevel
values for pressure and density it is possible, from a knowledge of the
temperature structure, to derive the pressure and density at any level in the
standard atmosphere.
The lower parts of the atmosphere in which we are interested for aviation
purposes are identified by their characteristic distribution of temperatures. On
this basis, the lowest part of the atmosphere is known as the Troposphereand is
distinguished by the decrease of temperature with increase of height. Tropos is
Greek for turning and because of the temperature structure, this part of the
atmosphere is subject to both horizontal and vertical motion. Water vapour is
mixed throughout its vertical extent and the troposphere contains all of the cloud
and weather in which we are interested. In practice, as well as the ICAO's
specifications for ISA, the temperature lapse with height of the troposphere
comes to an end at an altitude known as the Tropopause.Above the tropopause,
one enters the Stratosphere. The tropopause thus marks the boundary between
the troposphere and the stratosphere. Approximate values are shown in Fig. 1.1.
For basic study, it is convenient to assume a clear-cut transition from the
troposphere to the stratosphere although this is not always true. For this reason,
an upper air report or forecast may refer to a first and second tropopause where
the 'fIrst tropopause' is defmed as the lowest level at which the temperature lapse~
THE ATMOSPHERE AND ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE 3
rate decreases to 2 C deg/km (0.6 C deg/l000 ft) or less, provided that the
average lapse rate between this level and 2 km above it does not exceed2 C deg/
km. Normally, the amount of water vapour in the stratosphere is insignificant.
However (and this is allowed for in ISA), as one climbs up through the
stratosphere it gradually warms in its upper levels due to the presence of ozone.
The amount of ozone and its consequent absorption of ultra-violet radiation is
variable with place and time. Its effect, especially on radio transmissions, is dealt
with in some detail in the companion volume, Ground Studiesfor Pilots: Volume
1 -Radio Aids.
Beyond the stratosphere and aviation's operational altitudes, further 'shells'
of the atmosphere are recognised as one passesthrough the increasingly rarified
air into deep space. First comes the mesosphere,extending from an altitude of
about 50 km to around 80-90 km, and fmally the thermosphere beyond that
height. Neither the mesosphere nor the thermosphere will concern us further .
Atmospheric pressure
Units
All gasesexert pressure and the mixture of gaseswhich comprise the atmosphere
is no exception, either at mean sea level or at altitude. Pressure is the force per
unit area exerted on a surface in contact with the gas. In other connections you
may have already come across p.s.i. (pounds per square inch) or the metric
measure of dynes per square centimetre. You will perhaps remember that 1 dyne
is the force required to produce an accelerationi of 1 centimetre per second per
second on a mass of 1 gram.
As already seen in the definition of ISA, the unit ordinarily used in
meteorology in the UK is the millibar, which is tied into the metric system as
follows.
1 million dynes per square centimetre is called a pressure of 1 bar and is the
4 METEOROLOGY
approximate value of atmospheric pressure at mean sea level. However, for the
ready appreciation of subtle changes in atmospheric pressure, it is usual to use
the millibar, where the relationship is:
1 bar = 1000 millibars (mb)
1 millibar = 1000 dynes/square centimetre
1 centibar = 10000 dynes/square centimetre = 10 mb
Throughout this volume we shall use millibars but it is necessarybefore leaving
the statement of units to mention other units which may be encountered in a
meteorological connotation elsewhere.
Firstly the hectopasca1,which in magnitude is identical to the millibar (i.e.
1013 hectopascals = 1013 millibars). As from 1 January, 1986, ICAO adopted
the hectopascal as the approved unit for measuring and reporting atmospheric
pressure and the term will be encountered outside the UK. However, the UK has
told ICAO that for the foreseeable future the UK will continue to use the millibar
as its pressure unit.
Secondly, pressure may be expressed in terms of the height of a column of
mercury .The measurement of pressure by means of a mercury barometer is dealt
with in Chapter 17 but the basic principle involved is that the pressure exerted by
the atmosphere is balanced against that exerted by a column of mercury. As
atmospheric pressure rises, so the mercury rises up the glass. Pressure may then
be stated as, say, 29.9 inches mercury (Hg) or, say, 760 mm Hg.
Finally, mean sea level pressure may variously be found referred to as 14.71b
per square inch or 10 tons to the square metre, but not in this volume.
At mean sea level, our bodies are accustomed to the pressure of the air acting
upon us all the time, whether it is 1003, 1013 or 1023 millibars, and subtle
changes of pressure which may produce significant weather changes go
undetected by our bodily senses. A convenient defInition of atmospheric
pressure which enables pilots to visualise the situation is:
The atmospheric pressureat any point is equivalent to the weight of the column
of air of unit cross-sectionalarea extending upwards to the top of the atmosphere
from that point.
Thus in fig. 1.2 at A atmospheric pressure is exerted by the whole column above
A. At B it is the column above point B that has to be considered and will be less
THE ATMOSPHERE AND ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE 5
than that at A by the weight of the column AB. From this we have the very
important rule, which is the basis of altimetry , that pressure always decreases
with increase of altitude. The rate of pressure decreasewith altitude increase may
vary but nevertheless decreasesas you climb. Pressure also varies horizontally
which can also have important implications.
By altitude 'h' in the standard column MN, the upper level pressure has
decreasedto, say, 700 mb.lfwe now consider column CC., this air is colder than
MN so it will be more dense(i.e. heavier) and pressure will decreasemore rapidly
with increase of altitude than in the standard column MN. Thus by altitude 'h ,
the upper level pressure will be less at Cl than at N, say 690 mb. On the other
hand, ascending through column WW 1where upper air mean temperatures are
higher than standard, the pressure decreasewith altitude is slower than standard
and the pressure at W 1 will be greater than that at N, say 710 mb.
The determining factor is the mean temperature of the columns of air MN ,
CCl and ww 1giving the rule that:
In areas where upper air mean temperatures are relatively high, upper level
pressures are relatively high and conversely, above air where upper mean
temperatures are relatively low, the upper level pressures are relatively low.
For many purposes later it will be easier for fig. 1.3 to be considered from a
different aspect, comparing the altitude to which it is necessaryto ascendin order
to reach a given upper level pressure.
Figure 1.4 considers the same distribution of upper air mean temperatures as
fig. 1.3. The altitude hc necessaryto reach 700 mb is lower than standard because
the mean temperatures are lower than standard, while altitude hw for 700 mb is
6 METEOROLOGY
700 mb -
700 mb
700mb
rokIer warmer
than than
ho standard h standard hw standard
higher than standard because the mean upper air temperatures are higher than
standard.
When the upper air situation is depicted on a constant pressure chart (e.g. 700
mb) by joining all places where that pressure value occurs at the same altitude,
the lines are not unnaturally called contours and the chart is called the contour
chart for xxx mb level. Every contour may be treated as an isobar becausein the
same way as an isobar joins all places having the same pressure at a given datum
(usually msl), a contour joins places where a given pressure occurs at a common
altitude. For example, all the places which at 10000 ft are on the 700 mb isobar
will also be on the 10000 ft contour on the 700 mb chart. Similarly, areas of low
contour values are areas of low pressure, and vice versa.
The height interval between lower and upper levels, e.g. between 1000mb and
700 mb, is referred to as the 'thickness' of the layer. Values of lowest thickness
occur where the mean temperature of the layer is lowest and greatest thickness
occurs at the greatest mean temperature of the layer. The isopleths of thickness
of a layer coincide with the isotherms of mean temperature for that layer.
Formulae
The relationship between altitude, pressure and temperature may be expressed
mathematically.
1. The height difference in feet corres-
ponding to 1 millibar change in
pressure is given by
96T -- r -
(P-1)mb
h=-
p h(n)
--l-
pmb
Fig. .5
THE ATMOSPHERE AND ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE 7
;ig.1.6
Some useful values to remember, which you may care to check using your pocket
calculator and the formulae, are:
(a) The height equivalent to a millibar change in pressure in temperate
latitudes is:
At mean sea level 27 ft
At 2000 ft am si 30 ft
At 20000 ft amsi 50 ft
At 40000 ft am si 100 ft
(b) The following pressure levels for which upper air charts may be seen,
occur at these corresponding altitudes (i.e. above mean sea level):
Pressure Altitude
850 mb level occurs at approximately 5000 ft amsi
700 mb 10000 ft
500 mb 18000 ft
400 mb 24000 ft
300 mb 30000 ft
200 mb 40000 ft
100 mb 53000 ft
50 mb 68000 ft
L. Low or depression
An area of closed isobars, usually with a generally circular shape, with the lowest
pressure at the centre. The actual central pressure itself is not necessarily
important -it is merely relatively lower than the other pressures all around.
Forecasters refer to lows as deep or intense, shallow or weak and to whether they
are deepening or fIlling.
S. Secondary depression
An area of low pressure, not necessarily with its own isobar system, within the
periphery of a larger depression (then called the primary). The isobars on the side
of the secondary away from the primary are often quite close together.
Secondaries may also be described as intense or weak, etc.
H. High or anticyclone
An area of closed isobars, usually oval or circular in shape, with the highest
pressure at the centre. The isobars are usually wider apart than the isobars of a
depression and the anticyclones themselves are slower-moving. Highs are
described by forecasters as intensifying or declining. In some parts of the world,
highs persist in the same location with little change for quite long periods of time.
THE ATMOSPHERE AND ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE 9
Col
This is an area of almost uniform pressure between two highs and two lows.
Sometimes it is referred to as a 'saddle-back' shape. It does not have anyone
isobar defining its boundary .The two isobars on the two low pressure sides each
have the same value, while the isobars on the anticyclonic sides have equal, but
one interval (e.g. 2 mb, 4 mb) higher values.
Pressure gradient
It will be seenfrom these descriptions of the various pressure systemsand fig. 1.7
that the spacing apart of isobars is far from constant over the chart. This isobar
spacing is significant particularly in the matter of wind strength and weather .
The pressure gradient in a particular area is the rate of change of pressure per
unit distance measured in the direction in which pressure is decreasing most
rapidly, i.e. at right angles to the isobars at that point. Where the isobars are wide
apart it would be described as a slack pressure gradient and where the isobars are
close together the situation would be described as a steep pressure gradient (fig.
1.8).
there are two maxima and two minima per day but in the caseof pressure, these
always occur at the same local time. From a maximum at 10.00hrs, pressure falls
to a minimum at 16.00hrs, rises to another maximum at 22.00 hrs and falls again
to a second minimum at 04.00 hrs local time. It would seem to be a thermal tide
in the atmosphere working steadily around the globe rather than the gravita-
tional basis of the ocean's tides. A knowledge of the existenceof this semi-diurnal
variation of pressure is important because although in temperate and high
latitudes it is usually swamped by pressure variations due to other causes,in low
latitudes any interruption to it may indicate an impending tropical storm.
Pressure tendency
Amongst the information included in the routine observations made at
meteorological stations is the amount that the pressure has changed in the three
hours immediately preceding the observation, and the nature of the change. For
example, the overall change may have been by an amount of a rise of 0.5 mb
compared with the reading of three hours earlier, but characterised by having
risen by more than 0.5 in the first part of the three-hour period but subsequently
pressure falling by a smaller amount to produce a net change of 0.5 mb. This 3-
hour change of barometric pressure is called pressure tendency and has two
components -amount and characteristic. As will be seen from Chapter 12
dealing with synoptic meteorology , identification of areas of falling pressure or
rising pressure plays a significant role in understanding what is happening to the
weather at a particular place and time, and why. To aid identification the
forecaster may draw, or get his computer to draw, lines of equal amount (and
sign) of pressure tendency, called isallobars, in addition to the isobaric pattern.
These isallobars (drawn at, say, intervals of:!: 2 mb per 3 hours) will then depict
'isallobaric lows' where the pressure falls are greatest and 'isallobaric highs'
showing the regions of most rapidly rising pressure.
Pressure settings
When atmospheric pressure is measured by a barometer, the value obtained is
that at the level of the measuring element of the barometer. It would be a very
rare occurrence if this were to be at mean sea level or even indeed at the official
elevation of the aerodome which the observing station is serving. Amongst other
corrections made to the reading of the instrument (considered in Chapter 17) it
is convenient therefore to incorporate a further 'artificial' correction to enable
pressure comparisons to be made. The practice (except in areas of high level
plateaux where the results would be totally unrealistic) is to 'reduce' the pressure
reading to mean sea level, although in fact it is usually a case of adding an
amount to the instrument reading.
QFF is defined as the barometric pressure at a place, reduced to mean sea
level. The 'reduction' is made by using the actual temperature at the time of
observation as the mean temperature of a column extending from the barometer
level to mean sea level (fig. 1.9).
The values of QFF are used for drawing isobars on meteorological charts but
THE ATMOSPHERE AND ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE 11
Fig. 1.9
where stations have heights in excessof 500 feet above mean sealevel, the values
of QFF become increasingly suspect with their altitude.
QFE is defined as the barometric pressure at the level of an aerodrome. If the
barometer is not positioned at exactly the same level as the official aerodrome
elevation (which is the highest point on the landing area) then, as with Q FF , an
adjustment to its reading must be made to obtain QFE. In practice, again as with
QFF, this correction is read off a card which is entered with the barometer
reading and the air temperature, but the correction is normally numerically
small. If a pilot sets QFE on the sub-scale of his altimeter, the altimeter will read
0 feet on take-off and on landing. When a runway itself is not level, QFE
Touchdown it is used by Air Traffic Control (ATC). Also for ATC purposes, a
pilot may be passed 'Clutch QFE'. This term is used when military aerodromes
are located so close together that their Military Aerodrome Traffic Zones
(MATZ) overlap. In this case a pilot will be passed the QFE of the higher
aerodrome as 'Clutch QFE'. QFE is the landing datum used at all RAF, Army,
Navy and MOD (PE) airfields.
There are two other pressure settings and these assumeISA conditions (rather
than the actual prevailing aerodrome temperatures which are assumed for QFF
and QFE). These additional settings are QNE and QNH.
While it is debatable whether it is an 'altimeter setting'. QNE strictly is the
height indicated on the altimeter on landing at an aerodrome when the altimeter
subscale is set to 1013.25 millibars (29.92 inches). It is also called 'standard
setting' for obvious reasons. The indicated height from an altimeter whenever its
subscale is set to ISA msl conditions is also known as Pressure Altitude. The
setting QNE is obsolescent and for aerodrome purposes is the only one which
has its value specified in feet. The setting 1013 is, however, standard for flight
separation purposes, once the aircraft is operating above the transition altitude.
QNH is the observed barometric pressure reduced to mean sealevel assuming
ISA conditions. With this pressure setting, the altimeter will read the aircraft's
height above mean sea level on landing (because the instrument itself also
assumes ISA to prevail from mean sea level). Sometimes this setting is called
Spot QNH or Aerodrome QNH to differentiate the value from Forecast
Regional QNH.
Regional QNH is the forecast value, valid for one hour, of the lowest pressure
expected anywhere in that Altimeter Setting Region (ASR). Its function is to
12 METEOROLOGY
Test questions
Ql. For a given temperature and pressure, the effect on the density of the
atmosphere of an increase in humidity is:
(a) nil
(b ) to increase the density
(c) to decreasethe density.
Q2. By weight, the approximate ratio of oxygen to nitrogen in the
atmosphere is:
(a) 1:3
(b) 1:4
(c) 1:5
Q3. By volume, the approximate ratio of oxygen to nitrogen in the
atmosphere is:
(a) 1:3
(b) 1:4
(c) 1:5
Q4. By volume, the proportion of the atmosphere which is carbon dioxide is:
(a) 3.00%
(b ) 0.30%
(c) 0.03%
Q5. In the International Standard Atmosphere, the temperature at mean sea
level is:
(a) 15C
(b) loC
(c) 25C.
THE ATMOSPHERE AND ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE 13
100 units
Celsius, a Swedish physicist, invented the scale which bears his name on the
basis of 100 equal units between the freezing point of water at 0 and its boiling
at 100, hence the alternative name of centigrade. The Celsius scale is used world-
wide in aviation and will be used throughout this volume.
The Kelvin or absolute temperature scale is important in gas and meteorolog-
ical calculations (e.g. the pressure-height formula in Chapter 1). Lord Kelvin
deduced that there was a lowest achievable temperature -the absolute zero. This
occurs at -273.16C. The Kelvin scale has the same size degrees as the Celsius
scale, it is merely offset 273.16 degrees colder. For aviation meteorological
purposes it is usual to omit the decimal part 0.16 (as in fact we shall do) so that
oC = 273K, 100C = 373K, 15C = 288K and so on.
The Reaumur scale invented by a French physicist also in the mid-18th century
is virtually obsolete and has no relevance in aviation meteorology.
HEAT AND TEMPERATURE 15
Conversion of units
1. The conversion of C to K and vice versa is merely a question of adding or
subtracting 273 as appropriate.
C = K- 273 K = C + 273
2. The conversion ofOC to OFand vice versa is based upon the fact that there are
180 Fahrenheit degrees (F deg) between freezing and boiling points of water
corresponding to 100 Celsius degrees (C deg). To avoid confusion between a
specific temperature and a temperature difference, the abbreviations F deg, C
deg, etc., will be used for temperature difference throughout this volume.
212F -32F = 180 F deg
looC -oC = 100 C deg
180 F deg = 100 C deg
9 F deg = 5 C deg
To carry out the conversions, either of two formulae may be used, one using the
freezing point of water as its datum, the other using -400 as datum becauseit is
common on both scales, i.e.
-40F = -40C
The alternatives are:
(a) oC = (OF -32) X ~ and oF = (OC X ~) + 32
9 5
or
Air temperature
This is the temperature taken as representative of the air at or near the earth's
surface and in fact is the temperature in the shade at 4 feet ( 1.25 metres) above
the ground (i.e. the meteorological observing office's thermometer screenheight,
hence also called 'screen temperature').
Air frost
This is the condition when the air temperature is below 0C.
Groundfrost
This is the condition when the temperature of grass-covered ground is below
0C.
The exposure of thermometers for meteorological observations is dealt with in
Chapter 17.
hot that it is molten, relatively very little terrestrial heat passes to the earth's
atmosphere except when volcanoes erupt. The heat at the earth's surface and in
the atmosphere owes its origin to the sun some 93 million miles away, following
the sequenceradiation then conduction then convection.
Radiation
Radiation is the transfer of heat energy by electro-magnetic waves travelling at
186000 miles per second. The subject is dealt with in companion Volume 1
Chapter 1, but the basic facts are that all bodies radiate energy, most over a range
of wave-lengths simultaneously, and the wavelength of the radiation depends
upon the nature of the body and its temperature. Students of physics will know
that there are several laws governing radiation, the general implications ofwhich
are as follows:
Stefan's Law (amount of radiated energy in a given amount of time from a given
surface area is proportional to the fourth power of the absolute temperature)
establishes that the radiation from hot bodies is far more intense that the rate
from cold bodies.
wavelength
v
I
B
G
y
O
R
green, blue and indigo to violet, the shortest, as can easily be found by passing
it through a prism (fig. 2.3)
Solar radiation also encompassesinvisible ultra-violet radiation at a shorter
wavelength just beyond the violet, and infra-red at a longer wavelength beyond
the red. It is this total solar short-wave radiation which is responsible for the heat
that the earth and its atmosphere receive from outside.
In contrast to the short-wave solar radiation, the earth's surface and clouds of
water droplets or ice crystals, and even water vapour itself, radiate at long-wave
because of their much lower temperature. Also, from Stefan's Law, the total
terrestrial radiation emitted is proportionately very much less (varies as TI) with
temperature values for the sun of 6OOOKand for the earth, say, 288K.
In summary, the earth receives short-wave solar radiation on the hemisphere
which is day but is continuously radiating on long-wave from its entire surface
area.
Insolation
Not all of the solar radiation which is directed towards the earth and reachesthe
outer parts of the atmosphere ever reachesthe earth's surface. Some of the solar
radiation is scattered by the individual molecules of the upper air -proportion-
ately more at the shorter wavelengths (blue colours) of the spectrum. The
scattered light reaching an observer on the earth is therefore slightly richer in the
blue, indigo and violet short-waves, which make the sky look blue while the sun
itself looks yellow or red.
The incoming solar radiation is also depleted in other ways. There is
absorption in the upper atmosphere mainly by ozone, and nearer the earth by
any clouds that are present together with reflection by the earth's surface and by
the upper surfaces of clouds. The reflection by the earth and its atmosphere -
called its albedo -amounts to about 40% of the incoming radiation, and is the
illumination by which astronauts on space flights see the earth. The degree of
reflection depends upon latitude, season, time of day and the nature and slope
of the surface. For a given amount of solar radiation, typically some 80% is
reflected by fresh snow, 50% by thick cloud, 25% by grasslands and only 5% by
a dense forest. The solar radiation actually received on a particular area of the
18 METEOROLOGY
earth's surface is termed insolation. Other than the nature of the surface,
insolation really depends upon the obliquity of the sun's rays (fig. 2.4).
In low latitudes, in summer and at noon (A), the heating effect of a beam of
radiation is greatest becausenot only does it pass through the atmosphere by the
shortest path, so minimising reflection and absorption, but it also illuminates the
smallest area of surface. When the sun is nearer the horizon (C) the beam passes
through more atmosphere, is spread over a greater surface area and there is
greater surface reflection from snow, wet surfaces and sea particularly.
Before considering how various surface materials respond to insolation, two
further terms need to be understood.
Specific heat -the heat required to raise the temperature of unit mass of a
substanceby one degree.Water has a high specific heat, ice one half of that value
and most soils about 20% of the specific heat of water.
Latent heat -the heat absorbed or released, without change of temperature,
involved in a change of state of a substance.It is absorbed in the process solid to
liquid to gas, and is released in the reverse change from gas to liquid to solid.
Taking position B in fig. 2.4 as typical, further consideration can be given to
the factors determining the budget of energy at that point.
water compared with the temperature rise it would produce in one cubic
centimetre of dry soil.
2. Day or night
The preceding paragraph dealt only with incoming radiation but it should not be
forgotten that at all times the whole surface of the earth, land and sea, is also
continuously radiating heat out to space albeit at a much slower rate than solar
radiation. By day the incoming solar radiation is dominant but at night there is
only terrestrial radiation to consider. As already noted, the earth, the clouds and
the water vapour in the air are all long-wave radiators. Although present
throughout the 24 hours, their relationship can most easily be considered in the
night-time case with cloudless skies. Under these circumstances, terrestrial
radiation is lost to space and the surfaces which have been the most rapid
absorbers of radiation by day will be the most rapid coolers at night, e.g. rocky
desert areas.
The gasesof dry air are, for all practical purposes, 'transparent' to long-wave
radiation but water vapour is not completely so. Water vapour absorbs some
wavelengths of long-wave radiation whilst radiating in all directions itself. This
property of water vapour therefore reduces the amount that the earth's surface
will cool on a particular night becausethe water vapour will absorb some of the
terrestrial radiation and radiate some heat downwards to earth. The net cooling
is known as 'nocturnal radiation': the warmer the earth's surface, the greater is
the nocturnal radiation. Figure 2.5 is a graph showing the nature of the diurnal
variation of surface temperatures over land. Over the span sea, the diurnal
variation is negligible.
t~ature
time
dawn noon sunset
Fig. 2.5 Diurnal variation of surface temperature over land
3. Cloudless or overcast
Everything in paragraphs 1 and 2 has assumed sunny days and cloudless nights,
but it has already been mentioned that reflection of solar radiation takes place
from the upper surface of clouds, as can readily be seen from satellite
photographs. Clouds do also absorb an amount of solar radiation. While a sheet
of high cloud will cut off a significant proportion of heat from the sun, when the
'sun goes in' behind a dense cloud the fall in incoming heat is so great that it can
be felt bodily immediately. An overcast day with low cloud, or a day with a dense
20 METEOROLOGY
~lure
Fig. 2.6 Diurnal variation of surface temperature over land with varying cloud cover
4. Calm or windy
This factor will be dealt with in greater detail in later chapters when considering
the formation of cloud and fog. However the preceding paragraphs have
assumed a calm day and ignored any air movement. If the air is in motion, apart
from adiabatic properties yet to be considered, the air movement will mix the
heat, or loss of it, through the layer involved. On a calm, clear night, the
terrestrial cooling also may itself initiate an air movement. This will occur with
undulating terrain where cold air will collect in valleys, and even shallow 'frost
hollows' have significantly colder temperatures than the surrounding country-
side (fig. 2.7).
Having mentioned in 3 above that one can physically sensethe effect when the
sun goesin behind a densecloud, 'wind chill' effect should also be briefly referred
to. If, for example, at an aerodrome in Southern England the forecast air
temperature is 0C with a steady easterly wind of 25 knots, then to passengers
walking out to their aircraft the wind chill equivalent temperature will be some
10 C deg colder, e.g. -10C.
5. Wind direction
This is associated with the source from which the massof air originated. Air from
the interior of a continent will have less water vapour and cloud than air with a
long maritime track, and air migrating from polar or tropical latitudes to
temperate latitudes will tend to retain its original coldness or warmth for quite
a while. Even air movement on a smaller scale can influence the amount of
cooling due to nocturnal radiation. For example, a light wind from the English
HEAT AND TEMPERATURE 21
Fig.2.7
Channel will prevent aerodromes near the coast from cooling as much at night
as the cooling taking place at aerodromes well inland.
;( ShO:Ve /'
radiation from sun
/
/
absorption of
ultra-violet by ozone
3. scatterin9;! Y air
long-wave radiation from and
~
~ reflection by air ~
.,r-:bs~;i;; by~"u~n~a~:
and clouds c latent heat released
c: \ vap~ur \-"" --
terrestrial
5
,
reflection by
I / B
~."
convection
by:de~sation
heattransferred
by ~
and turbulence
.
.
surface
.1 \.~
long-wave
radiation 6. absorption as A. conduction betweenair
latent heat and surface
flight, at least one eminent medical authority advises pilots flying open
cockpit aircraft that they increase their risk of developing eye cataracts if
they do not wear ultra-violet-blocking sunglasses.
Radioactivity also does not directly affect the weather on a particular flight.
However, apart from naturally occurring terrestrial radioactivity and the very
small amounts from TV sets and medical diagnosis radiography, man has also
intervened in the characteristics of the atmosphere by using nuclear fuel (either
plutonium 238 or uranium 235) to power satellites, radioisotope thermoelectric
generators which ultimately will re~nter the outer atmosphere and break up.
Also, from the surface, disasters from failures at nuclear power stations such as
Chernobyl, spread radioactive dust upwards.
Generally, however, radioactivity which concerns Concorde operations in the
lower stratosphere and extended range operations involving very lengthy flights
around the height of the tropopause, may be from two natural causesof cosmic
radiation: as galactic radiation (which arrives from sources outside the solar
system) and solar radiation.
The earth's magnetic field tends to intensify cosmic radiation in high latitudes
near the earth's magnetic poles. Solar radiation is associated with sunspot
activity (solar flares) and is intermittent and relatively rare, sunspot activity
having a cycle of around 11 years. Radiation damage can apply both to
inanimate materials and living organisms. In the latter, harmful effects can be
radiation sicknessor burns or changes to cells altering their genetic structure and
producing various forms of cancer, especially leukaemia.
One way of checking the radiation experienced on a flight is for the air-
conditioning system to be sampled. In the UK, Schedule 4 of the Air Navigation
Order (ANO) dealing with mandatory carriage of equipment in aircraft, states
that aeroplanes, when flying at an altitude of more than 49000 ft, are required
to carry cosmic radiation detection equipment calibrated in millirems per hour
and capable of indicating action and alert levels of radiation dose rate. {The rem
-acronym for roentgen equivalent man -is the radiation absorbed dose
equivalent unit approved for use 'temporarily' with SI units until the SI unit
itself, the sievert (Sv) = 100 rem, becomes more widely familiar.) Checking the
radiation experienced on every Concorde flight (and hence the risk of
contracting a malignant disease) is done by means of a radiation meter. A
detector sensitive to both ionising and neutron radiation is mounted in the
external skin of the upper forward part of the fuselage and detects both galactic
and solar radiation. The combined total is displayed on a meter on the flight deck
in millirems. A schematic representation of the instrument is shown in fig. 2.9.
The cumulative totals on the counters are logged before and after each flight.
Operating the test push-button pre-flight simulates a high radiation level, testing
both the warning lights and the master warning system connections. If electrical
power supply to the indicator fails, a red/black striped failure flag displays. The
meter showing the instantaneous radiation dose in millirems per hour has three
coloured arcs: green sector, 0.1-10 mrem/h (1-100 ~v/h); amber sector, 10-50
mrem/h; and red sector, 50-1000 mrem/h. The amber light indicates an
instantaneous radiation level of 10 mrem/h, when Concorde crews obtain
24 METEOROLOGY
Amber segment
-Red segment
Failure
warning flag +
Cumulative
counters
"~
provisional clearance to descend. The red warning light indicates when the
instantaneous radiation level reaches 50 mrem/h, accompanied by a master
warning system red light and a gong audio signal. The Concorde would then
descend to below the level at which the red light no longer persists, or to FL470,
whichever is the higher .
The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) makes
recommendations on the limits of radiation that human beings should
experience. From the current ICRP recommendations, whilst it is prudent for
airlines to minimise radiation dose exposure to crews and passengers,it appears
that their operations will not approach the occupational exposure limit nor the
general public exposure limit respectively.
Test questions
Q I. When latent heat is released, the substance undergoes:
(a) a fall of temperature
(b) no change of temperature
(c) a rise of temperature.
Q2. Of the surface materials, seawater, forest and desert, the surface with the
highest specific heat is:
(a) sea water
(b) forest
(c) desert.
Q3. The water vapour in the air near to the earth's surface is:
(a) variable
(b) 14% of the composition of dry air
(c) 18% of the composition of dry air .
Q4. Water vapour is:
(a) visible as cloud
(b ) visible as cloud, fog and frost
(c) an invisible gas.
HEATANDTEMPERATURE 25
~
-:-")
2. ~tk>n asckJud
.--'- , v:-- ) ~
.:;) ~
Name Process
Condensation Water vapour into
liquid water drops
Evaporation Liquid to vapour
Deposition* Vapour to solid
(or sublimation (e.g. frost from cloudless air)
Sublimation Solid to vapour
Melting (or Solid to liquid
fusion of ice)
Freezing or Liquid to solid
crystallisation
.Although in chemistry, sublimation is only applied to the direct change from solid to
vapour, in meteorology the term may be used for either direct change: ice to water vapour
or water vapour to ice.
From the pilot's point of view, the condensation of water vapour leading to
WATER
IN THEATMOSPHERE 27
c -20 -10 O 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
g/kg 0.75 1.75 3.75 5.8 7.6 10.6 14.8 20 27.1 36.75
28 METEOROLOGY
gi1<g
35
30
25
20
15
10
0
-20 -10 0 +10 +20 +~ CC
Fig. 3.2 Variation of humidity mixing ratio for saturation with temperature
Tab/e 3.2
Temperature (OC) -20 -15 -10 -5 0 +5 +10 +15 +20 +25 +30 +35
SVP over water (mb) 1.9 2.864.22 6.11 8.7212.2817.1 23.4 31.7 42.5 56.3
SVP over ice (mb) 1.04 1.67 2.62 4.03 6.11 -
These values when graphed, as fig. 3.3, give the same shape and characteristics
as fig. 3.2.
Similarly,
Relative Humidity (%)= Vapourpressure (e)
100% Corresponding sat'n vapour pressure (e.)
The conditions relating to unsaturated air lie to the right of the curve in figs. 3.2
and 3.3. For example, at point p in fig. 3.3, representing air at +20C with a
vapour pressure of 11.7 mb:
Relative humidity = ill X 100% = --,J
500/;
Another way by which the humidity can be expressedis by means of the dew
point temperature.
~.
50'
40
30
I
20
A B p
10
~-.-@>
0 I I I I -y. I I I .I
-10 o +10 +20 +30 "C
Test questions
Q I. When air is cooled to below its dew point temperature, the amount of
water vapour condensed out as water droplets is:
(a) nil because first the air becomes supersaturated
(b) all of its vapour concentration because air cannot be
supersaturated
( c) the excessthat the original vapour concentration was greater than
the prevailing saturation content.
Q2. With increasing temperature, the saturation humidity mixing ratio of I
kg of air:
(a) increases
(b ) remains constant
(c) decreases.
Q3. With increasing temperature, the rate of increase of saturation vapour
pressure at normal atmospheric temperatures:
(a) increases
(b) remains constant
(c) decreases
Q4. In unsaturated air, the wet bulb temperature is:
(a) another name for the dew point temperature
32 METEOROLOGY
The density of the atmosphere, as with any gas, is defined as its mass per unit
volume. Common units used in aviation meteorology are grams per cubic metre
or per cubic centimetre, denoted by the Greek letter rho (p). The factors which
determine the density of a gas are pressure and temperature and it will be
remembered that the magnitude of air density at mean sea level in ISA
conditions is 0.001225 g/cc. It will also be remembered from the composition of
the atmosphere that water vapour density is about five-eighths of that of
comparable dry air .For the accurate determination of air density therefore it is
necessaryto know the prevailing humidity.
Why is a knowledge of air density important enough for ISA to specify the
mean sea level value? The answer is simply that every aspect of an aircraft's
operation -take-off, climb, turns, descent, landing- depends upon the d~nsity
of the air through which it is moving. Without going into the formulae in this
book, the lift sustaining the aircraft in flight varies directly with the air density.
If nothing elsechanges, an aircraft needsto fly faster to maintain a given altitude
if the air density decreases. In turn, an aeroplane's ceiling depends upon the
density of the air about it. On the runway, a low air density means a reduction
in engine thrust coincident with the need for higher take-off and landing speeds,
meaning a longer take-off run. Alternatively if there is a limited take-off run
available, then a low air density may mean a reduction in pay load in order to
reduce the take-off weight so that the aircraft can meet the take-off performance
criteria. On propeller-driven aircraft it should also be appreciated that, as with
lift, the propeller blades will produce less thrust with a reduced air density.
Finally, although we physically can sensewhen temperatures are high or we
can read the temperature value in C from an instrument in the aircraft, we
cannot say the same of air density. There is no instrument on the flight deck
panel directly indicating the mass per unit volume of the air through which the
aircraft is flying, nor do a pilot's senses alert him when the air density is
particularly low as he prepares for take-off. In the absence of visible or bodily
warnings, the hazards oflow air density must be guarded against at all times and
particularly by inexperienced pilots especially at unfamiliar aerodromes, if they
are 'hot and high'.
Formulae
or
P1V1=P2V2
where:
p = pressure
v = volume
and the suffIXes 1 and 2 are the initial and final
conditions respectively.
Charles' Law states that, for a constant pressure, the volume of a gas is directly
proportional to its absolute temperature. It may be written in the alternative
forms of:
v is proportional to T
or
T = constant
V
or
Tl- T2
""V;--""V;
As the density of a gas is inversely proportional to its volume, these two laws
can also be rewritten in terms of density as, respectively:
p = p X constant
and
p x T = constant
Whether considering a fixed mass of gas in a cylinder or an unrestricted
volume of air above an aerodrome, Boyle's Law and Charles' Law may be
combined to give the fundamental gas equation of:
pV= RT (I)
where
p = the gas pressure
V = the gas volume
R = the gas constant
T = the gas temperature
The gas constant value depends upon the gas and the units involved. In the case
of the mixture of gases which constitute dry air, the value of R is 2870 whenp is
in millibars, V in cubic centimetres and T in degrees Kelvin.
However, volume is not a particularly practical term for use in the equation in
aviation and it is convenient that for unit mass, air density is its reciprocal, i.e.
1
-=pandV=-
1 (2)
V p
AIR DENSITY 35
L=RT
(3)
p
and
p = RTp (4)
where R = 2870 when p is expressed in grams/cubic centimetre. Transposing
equation (4) for p gives:
p =L and p =..!xL (5)
RT R T
and on your pocket calculator:
+ = 0.0003484
2870
so the formula finally becomes:
p (6)
where
p= dry air density in g/cc
0.0003484 = constant
p = air pressure in mb
T= air temperature in K
When air density is determined in grams per cubic metre, then the constant is one
million times greater and the formula is:
p=~ (7)
T
For almost all practical purposes, it is usually satisfactory to assumethe formula
for dry air. However, there may be times when this is not the caseand allowance
has to be made for the presence of less dense water vapour .
5 e
Water vapour: Pwv = 348.4 X 8 xT
= 348.4 ~e
T
g/mJ (9)
36 METEOROLOGY
Adding together (8) and (9) to fmd the total density (of dry air mixed with water
vapour) of a cubic metre of moist air, gives:
-348.4 (p -e) + 348.4 (5/8e)
p- T T
pressure and temperature. The average air density for practical purposes can be
found by substituting average pressure and temperature in the formula. (If a
chart is drawn with lines joining places of equal air density, the isopleths are
called isopycnics.) Considering formulae (8) and (10), the minimum air density
can occur either from extremely low pressure or exceptionally high temperatures
or possibly from both occurring simultaneously. In areas which are subject to
very low pressure systems, usually temperate latitudes, this will normally be the
causeof low density. As very low pressure in these areas seldom coincides with
temperatures above average a suitable formula for such areas would be:
M mImum
" " "
aIr
densI " t y =
348. 4 X Minimum pressure (mb) (11)
Average temperature (K)
If the maximum temperature occurs when humidities may also be high, then:
Minimum = 348.4 X (Avera~e p -0/8 of maximum e) (13)
p MaXImum temperature K
At the other extreme, it may be of interest but of little practical value to know
that in Russia in winter the Siberian anticyclone may have pressures at
aerodrome level of 1040 mb and temperatures of -40C giving an air density of
1555 grams per cubic metre, some 25% to 30% greater than the air density at
London on the same day.
Having mentioned the coldness and high pressure of a Siberian winter day, it
should be noted that there are of course seasonalvariations in air density in most
parts of the world. For a particular aerodrome these can be determined by
substituting the seasonal values in equation (11) or (12) as appropriate.
Similarly there is a diurnal variation of air density following in step with the
changes of air temperature throughout the 24 hours. As a result, lowest air
densities occur early in the afternoon and the highest values around dawn"
also humid, this just worsens the situation, Hence in determining aircraft
performance into and out of an aerodrome, cognisance must be taken of WAT
limitations: W Weight, A Altitude, T Temperature,
In aerodynamics, it may be convenient to work not with the actual air density
but its value relative to that at mean sea level in ISA. It is denoted by the Greek
letter sigma (0") and is called Relative Density. It may variously be quoted as a
fraction of unity or as a percentage.
R e I a t lve
' d ensl 't y = Ambient ~.v... Densitv
~v..~..J In\
\t' J
It is also true, but there is little practical value in knowing, that the differences in
the troposphere tend to smooth out their effects so that by around 26000 feet
above mean sealevel the average air density is almost uniform around the world
(a = 0.43 approximately).
Test questions
Q 1. For a given air temperature, the value of air density:
(a) varies directly as the air pressure
(b) varies inversely as the air pressure
(c) at any time has a value 122.5% greater than the air pressure.
Q2. For a given air pressure, the value of air density:
(a) varies directly with the temperature in C
(b) varies inversely with the temperature in K
(c) varies inversely with the temperature in C.
Q3. For a given pressure and temperature, water vapour:
(a) has the same density as dry air
(b ) has a lesser density than dry air
(c) has a greatear density than dry air.
Q4. Temperature Deviation in C deg at a particular pressure altitude (PA) is
given by:
(a) ISA msl temperature -corrected outside air temperature
(b ) corrected outside air temperature -ISA msl temperature
(c) corrected outside air temperature -ISA temperature for that PA.
Q5. On a hot and humid, pre-monsoon day in Asia, the air density will be:
(a) less than the average for the year for that aerodrome
(b ) around the average for the year for that aerodrome
(c) more than the average for the year for that aerodrome.
AIR DENSITY 39
With the observed environment temperatures given in fig. 5.1, from the
surface to 2000 ft the environmental lapse rate (ELR) is 2 C deg per 1000 feet
while from 2000 ft to 4000 ft the ELR is 1 C deg/l000 ft. In fact where
temperatures are decreasing with increase of height, the ELR is positive.
However, the observed upper air temperatures may be as shown in figs 5.2 and
5.3. Where, as in fig. 5.2, the environmental temperatures remain unchanged
with increase of height, the ELR is 0 C deg/l 000 ft and the layer from 1000 ft
to 3000 ft would be called an isothermal layer. If, as in fig. 5.3, the environmental
temperatures increase with increase of height (i.e. the usual temperature
structure is inverted) the ELR is negative and the layer from 1000 ft to 3000 ft
would be called an inversion layer or just 'an inversion'. If the temperature
inversion starts at the surface, it is usual to refer to the condition as a surface
inversion.
.APSE RATES, STABILITY AND INSTABILITY 41
Figures 5.4, 5.5, 5.6 and 5.7 show graphs of observed environment air
temperatures plotted against height, called environment curves, which illustrate
the various possibilities.
l1y1()()()
fIx 1000
\
10 10
\ environment curve
6
8
6
\
4 4
< ~i~er~~a~r ~
2 2
~ ..
2 6 8 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14'C
height
I~Bture
Because it is the practice to forecast both the surface and upper air
temperatures for a particular place and time, there will also be a corresponding
forecast ELR, the applications of which will be considered later.
process. Take the case of a piston moving in a simple cylinder (fig. 5.8). If the
piston is moved so that it compressesthe gas, work is done on the gas. The energy
required for compression passesto the gas leading to an increase of its internal
energy, raising its temperature (cf. bicycle hand-pump, diesel engine, etc.).
Fig.5.8
Cooling by expansion of a gas, as in some domestic refrigerators, is the reverse
process. In the atmosphere, because air is a poor conductor of heat, any rising
bubble of air (called a 'parcel' by met. men) can be considered 'thermally
insulated' from its environment as it expands and cools with no loss or gain of
heat to or from its environment, i.e. adiabatically. So long as the vertically
moving air remains unsaturated it changes its temperature at a predictable,
constant rate.
A formal definition would be:
Dry adiabatic lapse rate (DALR) is the rate of cooling with ascent or warming
with descent of unsaturated air displaced vertically in which the temperature
changesdue entirely to dynamical processesand their is no exchangeofheat with
the environment. Expressedin terms of height, the DALR value is 3 C deg/l 000
ft (1 Cdeg/100 m).
Pictorially Graphically
height
4000ft -- ) 4"C --
J000ff -- J 7'C --
2000ft -- O 1O"C--
10000It -- O 13"C --
surface
"'"" , 9 , ;~ , , , , , ,
temperature
Fig. 5.9 Dry adiabatic lapserate
purposes at -40C. Thus the SALR value increases with altitude and also usually
with latitude. Remember that the SALR value is derived from the simple sum:
This may be shown graphically (fig. 5.10) for a given amount of cooling ('t' deg).
bl
T
I--t--1 ~t-f lemperalure
(a) At High temperatures, large difference in saturation value, much condensation and
latent heat released, hence a Low SALR value.
(b) At Low temperatures, small difference in saturation values, little condensation and
latent heat released, hence a High SALR value.
Compared with fig. 5.9 for the DALR, the SALR may be represented as in fig.
5.11.
The graph of temperature versus height in a large developing cloud is called an
ascent or 'path curve', and would appear as shown in fig. 5.12.
44 METEOROLOGY
Pictorially Graphically
.
DALR
t- ,.
temperature
unsaturatedair saturated air
(b)
environmental
air temp.s
(ELR 4 C
deg/1000II)
18'C
3000II 6 21C 25V.oC 6
22'C
200011 6 24C 27C 6
26C
1000II ~ 27C 28V.oC ~
warming at the DALR. The environmental lapse rate through the whole
turbulent layer therefore tends to the DALR value. This means in practice, that
the ELR can never greatly exceedthe DALR value in unsaturated air nor greatly
exceed the SALR value in saturated air.
The term 'superadiabatic' lapse rate is used to describe the case of extreme
instability occurring in a shallow layer near the surface. If the ground is subjected
to strong sunshine, heat may be absorbed by the thin layer of air next to it faster
than it can be carried away upwards by convection currents. As a result, for a
shallow layer only a few feet thick, the ELR value may then be many times
greater than the DALR value ie superadiabatic.
temperature
unsaturated air saturated
air
It only occurs when the ELR has a value between those of the SALR and
DALR. In this case, the instability is conditional upon the air being saturated.
Typical weather conditions of concern to the aviator are cumuliforrn cloud
where the disturbed air is saturated but hazy conditions if the air remains
unsaturated.
The three casesof absolute stability, conditional and absolute instability may
be summarised as shown in fig. 5.16.
height
temperature
Fig. 5.16
Latent instability
'latent heat', latent is used to denote hidden. The
48 METEOROLOGY
~
0;
I
~
..., "'
.~
I i ;3
- r ---
, :f
r.." (: ".. 'r--
, ~~
~"
" , ~
(' -
.5
(" "' '~~ d
f'---r-r("-
~~"
' ~ ~ ~
-
I " ~ j
'-\0.,. -..
v'-- ~\
~\.,. -" ~~. ~, ~
II"\
ob
'-"\ ~
\ ~~(
-.-/""i~ I
\~i1
~( j, t
~ J "'(
t I
) t !
~q ~I
=f= 1 !
~I~ t
LAPSE RATES, STABILITY AND INSTABILITY 49
same application is true when the term 'latent instability' is used.
Latent instability is that state of the atmosphere in which there is a small stable
layer at low levels with a larger unstable layer above it, such that if air isforced
to ascend through the stable layer, instability phenomena will develop.
This may be illustrated as in fig. 5.17, where the condensation level is 1500 ft
and the turbulence layer is 2000 ft deep. The surface air has to be lifted to above
the height at which the path curve A -A' and environment curve B -B' intersect
(C). The area between the curves below C is called 'negative area' as it represents
the amount of energy to be applied to a parcel of air to make it rise, while the area
above C between the curves is called 'positive area'. The positive area similarly
gives, proportionately, the kinetic and electrical energy developed in the
towering cloud. Simply, from the pilot's point of view, the greater the size of the
positive area, the more active the cloud.
Finally, the terms potential (or convective) stability and instability may be met.
Whereas all of the casesconsidered so far have concerned parcels of air rising
through the environment, potential (in)stability relates to what would happen if
the whole environment were lifted bodily. The simplest case to visualise is of a
whole airstream moving from, say, over the ocean or a low-Iying plain rising up
to a new location over a plateau. Although both terms potential (in)stability and
convective (in)stability may be found in meteorological literature, the prefIX of
potential may be preferred becauseof its connotations of position. (The casefor
'convective' is that the (in)stability arises from the rearrangement of heat due to
the bodily movement of the air. )
-gx~I'
U aJ .-I
I
,
,
-~
-- ~ I
~ ~ I ~
s :! i .
.~ =
.~ 0:
-' u
~
~
.2 ~ w
Q) ~
-i
i ,~
~ :i
LAPSE RATES, STABILITY AND INSTABILITY 51
~
i
I
I
I
~
I -I
I a-<
w I
I
~ 5~
a: I
.J
w ~~
../1 E~
~ I ,/ I ~:J
I u:
I / (/)'</1
-J~ I/~
/ I
I I
/ I
1/-
~ ?;-
:c I :5
f I I
~"'
I ~ II "(U
I \ I .~
v
...
I
---:---:- ~ ~\ ~ -\: \ I
0-
~ ~ ~~II '~8BI\\ \ I -
II .i,& Q.<~ CP~I ,
ori
~ ~ ~ ~t!J I "i~~ " ." 00
I
~
~
I ~ U
~
II:
:J
~
O
~ g'~8~ \ '
~ '\ I
..w , ::"'~~
Ox I' I
I
c
u a) .-
t \ "
I'
I
\ I "'
~I
"".
~ "
" ""
I
~u '.,..
(/)~
~ II = "
f ~~i
~ k ~
~
c r
j
e
~ ;i
m
I!
52 METEOROLOG'
height
r
r-- ; ~ ~IVe
~=:n~ ~rou-nd2~~
J
"-
"
"'
Fig. 5.20 Diurnal variation
Test questions
Q I. A radio-sonde measuresthe upper air temperatures on a cloudless day in
the UK. When plotted on a temperature-height graph, these
temperatures would give:
(a) the path curve
(b ) the environment curve
(c) the dry adiabatic curve.
Q2. A temperature inversion indicates a state of the atmosphere which is:
(a) absolutely stable
(b ) absolutely unstable
(c) conditionally unstable.
Q3. An isothermal layer is a state of the atmosphere which is:
(a) absolutely stable
LAPSE RATES, STABILITY AND INSTABILITY
To the man in the street, the clouds in the sky are more synonymous with
meteorology than any other element and weather lore down the ageshas largely
been based on clouds; 'Red sky in the morning, shepherd's warning', etc. Even
if the licence syllabuses did not spell out the details, private and professional
pilots need to know why, how, when and where clouds form and their
characteristics. This knowledge is necessary even for 'fair weather fliers' who
need to discriminate when to fly and select VMC days! For efficient and safe
instrument flying and professional operating, the knowledge is essential.
I. Cirrus (CI). Detached clouds in the form of white, delicate filaments, or white
or mostly white patches or narrow bands. These clouds have a fibrous (hair-like)
appearance or a silky sheen or both.
2. Cirrocumulus (CC). Thin, white patch, sheet or layer of cloud without
shading, composed of very small elements in the form of grains, ripples, etc.,
merged or separate, and more or less regularly arranged; most of the elements
have an apparent width of less than one degree.
3. Cirrostratus (CS). Transparent whitish cloud veil of fibrous or smooth
appearance, totally or partly covering the sky, and generally producing halo
phenomena.
CLOUDS AND PRECIPITATION 55
4. A/tocumu/us(AC). White or grey, or both white and grey, patch, sheet or layer
of cloud, generally with shading, composed of laminae, rounded masses,rolls,
etc., which are sometimes partly fibrous or diffuse, and which mayor may not
be merged; most of the regularly arranged small elements usually have an
apparent width of between one and five degrees.
5. A/tostratus (AS). Greyish or bluish cloud sheet or layer of striated, fibrous or
uniform appearance, totally or partly covering the sky, and having parts thin
enough to reveal the sun at least vaguely, as through ground glass. Altostratus
does not show halo phenomena.
6. Nimbostratus (NS). Grey cloud layer, often dark, the appearance of which is
rendered diffuse by more or less continually falling rain or snow which in most
casesreachesthe ground. It is thick enough throughout to blot out the sun. Low
ragged clouds frequently occur below the layer with which they mayor may not
merge.
7. Stratocumu/us (SC). Grey or whitish, or both grey and whitish, patch, sheet
or layer of cloud which almost always has dark parts, composed of tessellations,
rounded masses,rolls, etc., which are non-fibrous and which mayor may not be
merged; most of the regularly arranged small elements have an apparent width
of more than five degrees.
8. Stratus (S1). Generally grey cloud layer with a fairly uniform base which may
give drizzle, ice prisms or snow grains. When the sun is visible through the cloud
its outline is clearly discernible. Stratus does not produce halo phenomena
except, possibly, at very low temperatures. Sometimes stratus appears in the
form of ragged patches.
9. Cumu/us (CU). Detached clouds, generally dense and with sharp outlines,
developing vertically in the form of rising mounds, domes or towers, of which the
bulging upper part often resembles a cauliflower. The sunlit parts of these clouds
are mostly brilliant white; their bases are relatively dark and nearly horizontal.
Sometimes cumulus is ragged.
10. Cumu/onimbus (CB). Heavy and dense cloud, with a considerable vertical
extent, in the form of a mountain or huge towers. At least part of its upper
portion is usually smooth, or fibrous or striated, and nearly always flattened; this
part often spreads out in the shape of an anvil or vast plume. Under the base of
this cloud which is often very dark, there are frequently low ragged clouds either
merged with it or not, and precipitation, sometimes in the form of virga.
~-.. --~ ~
( (' , 1 ..
.r .-~~J --~
Table 6.1 classifies the ten fundamental cloud types. The heights and cloud
base temperatures tend to be higher than average in summer and lower in winter.
As they vary too with latitude, comparative base height figures are given for low
(tropical) and high (polar) latitudes, as well as approximation values for the UK
(temperate latitudes).
Tab/e 6.1
Temperate Tropical
High
Cirrus (CI) 16000 to 10000 to 20000 to
45000 ft 25000 ft 60000 ft
Cirrocumulus(CC)
Cirrostratus(CS) -20 to -60C
Medium
Altocumulus (AC) 6500 to 6500 to 6500 to
23000 ft 13000 ft 25000 ft
Altostratus (AS) + 10 to -20C
Low (stratiform)
Nimbostratus(NS) 500 to 6500 ft 500 to 6500 ft 1000 to 6500 ft
+ 10 to -IoC
Stratocumulus(SC) 1000 to 1000 to 1000 to
6500 ft 6500 ft 6500 ft
+ 15 to -IoC
Stratus(S1) Surface to Surface to Surface to
1500 ft 1500 ft 1500 ft
+20 to -5C
Great vertical extent
Cumulus (CU) 1500 to 1500 to 1500 to
6500 ft 6500 ft 6500 ft
+20 to -5C
Cumulonimbus (CB) 1000 to 1000 to 1000 to
6500 ft 6500 ft 6500 ft
CLOUDS AND PRECIPITATION 57
Cumulus clouds on fme sunny days with a stable atmosphere may be very
limited in their vertical extent and are then referred to as 'fair weather cumulus'
-to the meteorologist, 'cumulus humilis'. However, in unstable atmospheric
conditions when the cumulus build upwards through the troposphere, the clouds
are then called 'towering cumulus' (cumulus congestus).
Apart from these rather self-evident prefIXes to the basic cloud name
'cumulus', there are a number of other terms used to amplify the descriptions of
clouds and of these a practising pilot should know the following:
Calvus ( ca/). Cumulonimbus is described as calvus (from the latin for bald) when
although there is no visible cirriform part, some of the 'cauliflower' cloud top is
starting to change to a fibrous structure.
Capillatus (cap). This suffix is added to the name by meteorologists observing
cumulonimbus to indicate that the cloud(s) have a defmite cirriform top -
usually anvil-shaped. The cloud is probably associated with a thunderstorm with
squalls and showers, possibly of hail, and virga beneath it. It has been said that
if the aircraft is near CB cap then the aircraft captain should be the pilot handling
the controls.
Castellanus ( cast). A term applied to CI, CC, AC and SC (and previously termed
'castellatus') when the cloud takes on a turreted or crenellated appearance. This
appearance is most noticeable when a line of the cloud is seen from one side. It
is indicative of instability at the cloud level.
Fractus (frs). This SUffIXis applied only to cumulus and stratus. It indicates that
the cloud is broken or ragged in appearance.
Lenticularis (len). Clouds such as CC, AC, SC which are described as lenticular
are in the form of lens or almond shapes. They are good indicators of standing
waves (Chapter 10).
Virga. This is a term used in relation to clouds and not as SUffIXto a particular
cloud name. It is the name to describe precipitation descending from the base of
a cloud but not reaching the surface. The precipitation may be falling vertically
or slantwise and is also described as 'fallstreaks'.
Two other terms that you may come across in your general reading or
experience (but which are not in the syllabus) are nacreousand noctilucent clouds
which are of interest to passengersand crews becauseof their colouring and their
delicate structure.
Nacreous cloud -also called 'mother of pearl' cloud -is a relatively rare
occurrence of stratospheric cloud in the ozone layer at 20-30 km, sighted mainly
in Scotland and Scandinavia. With a very delicate structure similar in
appearance to cirrus or altocumulus lenticularis, their little or no movement
suggests that they may be mountain wave clouds. They are very iridescent
(rainbow-coloured) especially so just before sunrise and shortly after sunset,
when they may continue to be seen on into the night.
Noctilucent cloud -also called 'luminous night cloud' -is also seen in northern
Europe, usually on the northern horizon around the midnight hours in the
summer. Resembling cirrus or cirrostratus, they occur at 80-85 km, their colour
varying from a bluish-silver to yellow-orange, the cloud being illuminated by
direct sunlight against a dark, clear sky.
58 METEOROLOGY
Cloud formation
Clouds form in what previously was clear sky because the air is cooled so that it
becomes saturated and then cooled further so that there is an excessof water
vapour over and above the amount required to saturate at that temperature and
pressure. This excesswater vapour then condensesout onto condensation nuclei
as visible water drops or ice crystals.
The necessary cooling can take place by:
(a) long-wave radiation from the air itself, although there is little evidence
that on its own it is likely to produce condensation. Long-wave radiation
from the upper surfaces of pre-existing cloud may however lead to enough
cooling to produce further cloud.
(b) contact with a cold surface, so losing heat from the air by conduction, but
this process too is unlikely to be significant in producing cloud. In calm or
very light winds, the condensation is deposited as dew or frost. In slightly
stronger winds, the condensation will be as mist or fog. In winds exceeding
8 knots the vertical motion within the turbulence then generated will
produce adiabatic cooling and conductional cooling is not then the
significant factor.
(c) mixing two nearly saturated masses of air at markedly different
temperatures. There is again little evidence that this process is a reason for
clouds to form. However, the process can contribute to additional
condensation in certain circumstances. It will be considered later in the
context of fog formation.
The basic reason why clouds form is adiabatic cooling, as was described in
Chapter 5. The sequence is:
I. For some reason, air is caused to rise. The four different reasons for this are
often used to categorise the resulting clouds:
(a) Orographic cloud -formed due to the ascent of air over high (or rising)
ground.
(b) Convection cloud -formed due to surface heating of the air producing
thermal up-currents.
(c) Turbulence cloud -formed due to the air flow producing a frictional
turbulence layer caused either by the underlying earth's surface or, at
upper levels, another airflow associated with a rapid wind change with
height.
(d) Frontal cloud -formed when there is a general ascent of air over a wide
area. This situation is typical of low pressure systems where large air
massesof different characteristics are in juxtaposition. Frontal cloud will
be considered in Chapter 12.
2. The rising air is subjected to a steady decreaseof pressure as it ascends.
3, The decreasing pressure causes the air to expand.
4. The expanding air cools adiabatically.
5. If stages 1,2, 3, and 4 are continued sufficiently, the originally unsaturated air
will become saturated. The height at which this saturation occurs is called the
'condensation level'. It should be noted however that the temperature of the air
at the condensation level is not the original surface air's dew point temperature.
CLOUDS AND PRECIPITATION 59
Cloud characteristics
Generally, the mode of uplift of the air which will be explored in more detail in
later paragraphs tends to determine the cloud characteristics of:
(a) the time of the occurrence of the cloud
(b) the location of the clouds and their horizontal distribution
(c) the persistence of the cloud and often their dispersal
(d) the location and nature of any precipitation associated with the cloud.
The degree of stability or instability of the environment in which the air is
forced to ascend determines:
(a) the vertical extent of the cloud
(b) turbulence within the cloud and other flight conditions.
Cloud dispersal
The ultimate dispersal of cloud involves a reversal of the formation process -the
visible water drops or ice crystals disappear either due to evaporation or by just
falling out of the air that had previously sustained them. In the former case, the
cloud evaporates either because the air becomes warmer (and as its capacity to
contain water vapour increases so the relative humidity falls to below 100%) or
because the cloud, especially if it is isolated as in the case of cumulus, is
surrounded by drier air with which it mixes. In the latter case, precipitation
physically removes the water from the air by returning it to the surface. Further
reflection on fig. 3.1 will substantiate that this is indeed a significant factor.
Orogmphic cloud
When an airstream meets a range of hills or mountains or even just generally
rising terrain, it too ascends and, due to the decreasing pressure, cools
adiabatically. The effect is also true with individual hills or peaks although some
of the airflow will, in this case,be diverted around the hill or peak. Provided that
the basic parameters are satisfied, orographic cloud forms irrespective of the
.Depending upon the stability of the airstream
60 METEOROLOGY
and the humidity at different levels, there are variations in the orographic cloud
that results which are as follows.
Stable air
Consider fIrst an airstream which has moved from over the sea and is moist
through a deep layer, say 10000 feet or more. The air ascends to beyond the
condensation level and cloud is formed, perhaps at a base height of only a few
hundred "feet if the initial humidity is very high. Each of the moist layers above
the surface will also rise, as shown in fig. 6.3, producing a thick layer of stratiform
cloud. Becauseof the stable lapse rate, when the air is no longer physically being
forced to rise by the shape of the terrain it will descend on the leeside to warm
adiabatically. The high ground will be enveloped in cloud (hill fog), there will
probably be continuous precipitation ranging from drizzle to rain or snow on the
windward side and a rain shadow on the leeside.
~ t=-~
~ ~~
(~ -, -~- .
slaIM
~ ~~.-~ )
' ~") .c ')
nOsI <"5;'.- c
~ -c;: ~ ~) ~~
laver ...,- 3 -~..,--
r<-
~-
...J -'">
'.. . ~ ,-..' LEEWARD
WI~~
Fig. 6.3 Orographic cloud in moist stable airstream
The loss by precipitation on the windward side means that there is less water
to be re-evaporated on the leeward side so the cloud base is correspondingly
higher. It also means that where the rising air in the cloud has cooled relatively
slowly at the SALR (say 1.5 C deg per 1000 ft), on the lee side for much of its
descent it will be warming at the greater rate of the DALR (3 C deg per 1000ft),
and an aerodrome here will experience a warm dry wind. This is generally known
as 'fohn effect' after the Alpine name 'Fohn wind', but there are various local
names where the effect occurs elsewhere, e.g. Chinook in Canada, Bohorok in
Indonesia, etc. Apart from the hazards arising from the orographic cloud
obscuring the high ground and the effects of precipitation, such cloud is also
associated with airframe icing problems and turbulent flight conditions in
'mountain waves' which are considered in later pages.
If the lifted moist air is not very deep, as may happen when air from the North
Sea moves over the eastern coast of the UK, then the cloud may produce no
precipitation, even as drizzle, and the rather flat cloud baseis effectively the same
on the lee side as on the windward, as shown in fig. 6.4. The cloud is commonly
stratus, its base may be as low as 200 to 300 feet and in some favoured valleys
amongst the moors, may disperse locally.
CLOUDS AND PRECIPIT AnON 61
statjesIr
8Ir8Ius
-~ --
~ "
~ ---~
~~ ~--- ~
~stat~~~~-
Fig. 6.4 Orographic stratus over low hills
---
00st1ayer~--,,~~~
~~~
~~~~~
Fig. 6.5 Lenticular cloud over high ground
and the ever-present risk for unwary pilots of colliding with the high ground
failing to maintain safety altitude, two other hazards arise when pre-
cooling quickly produce cloud. The cloud base then lowers appreciably so that
it may prove impossible to maintain VMC.
Secondly, if committed to flying through orographic cloud, beware of an
increase in severity of airframe icing where a front rises over high ground. It
should not be assumedthat, becausecrossing a belt of frontal cloud produced no
problems when encountered over flat terrain on an outward journey, on the
return flight crossing the same front in a mountainous area will produce the same
weather: it may be much worse. This is because the orographic updraughts will
supplement the frontal uplift so supporting bigger and more water drops than
earlier in the day.
---(1 I
"
--} A1
L~ ~
--"'" A/ CtJnMAlorm
clouddrInO1Q
~
---=--
y ~
"'-.
Unstable ai,
The airstream may be unstable for a number of reasons including potential
instability which develops as the airstream rises over the high ground.
Depending upon the relative humidity and the degree of instability, so either of
the possibilities shown in fig. 6.6 and 6.7 may occur .
If the airstream is not very humid at low levels, there may well be a clear space
between the hill-tops and the cumuliform cloud base (fig. 6.6). However, once
the air is forced to rise, the instability will permit it to continue to rise even after
the parcel of air has moved away from the 'source hill' which has triggered off
the initial upward movement. This often results in the individual cumulus clouds
lining up in distinct 'cloud streets' which are readily seen from the air and even
better from satellite cloud photographs. This is not to say that all cloud streets
are created from separate thermals rising in unstable air. In windy weather, cloud
streets can develop under a stable layer in parallel lines up to several hundreds
of miles long. They then have correspondingly quite strong lines of 'sink' in
between, of which pilots of light aircraft particularly should be aware.
If the airstream is very humid, the cloud basewill obscure the high ground and
towering cumulus or cumulonimbus and showery precipation will be triggered
off, as well as the clouds again drifting off downwind. Not only do these produce
difficult conditions for aircraft operations (especially for light aircraft) but also
the rapid deteriorations cause the annual crop of accidents to unwary
mountaineers and hill-walkers.
Convection cloud
This cloud forms due to the air being heated from below so producing thermal
upcurrents. At the same time as the surface is heating the air irregularly, causing
some to rise away from the surface in a series of convective bubbles or parcels,
so the conduction of heat from beneath is also increasing the environmental
lapse rate (ELR) in the lower levels. Depending upon the original ELR value
which is being modified, so varying patterns of cumuliform cloud formed by
convection will result.
IHt
/ HI HI
environment curve
, I
-- -
,
I
I
I a
,
M I
,
R I
,
Tcu
Initially, the convection currents start over the terrain which warms most
sever the rising currents, and also that the general humidity is not so low that
mixing with their surroundings, called entrainment, will keep them unsaturated,
the up currents will eventually reach and rise above the condensation level.
However, because of the basic stability of the initial EL~, vertical development
of the cloud is inhibited and generally each small cumulus will last less than half
an hour before dispersing. If the surface temperatures continue to rise there will
be a corresponding rise in the height of the cloud base and top. Sometimes if
there is a marked stable layer such as an inversion above the condensation level,
the rising bubbles of air having initially formed the small cumulus spread out
sideways to form a layer of stratocumulus (fig. 6.9).
81,.. layer
--- L ---~ ..-=-~ =
--~~ ~ ~
aIrKIens8tkJn
IeIIeI
j J ~-
t
} I ) J
~ ::::r--~ / / ,:::0-:77/-~ / T / r--r--7
Fig.6.9
Towering cumulus
In this casethe environment is unstable through a deeper layer, usually in excess
of 10000 feet. The surface heating of the moist air may either be due to the
normal overland daytime heating by the sun or to advection of cool air to over
a warmer surface at any time during the 24 hours. The surface air continues to
ascend because while cooling at the saturated adiabatic lapse rate it remains
warmer than the environment (fig. 6.10).
The rising currents produce condensation and despite the entrainment of
unsaturated air around, this condensation continues to great heights. The
""- ,
,~
?
r
len1Jeratur9
Fig. 6.10
CLOUDS AND PRECIPITATION 65
ultimate cloud tops are limited by the tropopause so although convection clouds
extend to 20000 feet in polar regions, they commonly develop to over 50000 feet
in low latitudes. Similarly their vertical extent is greater in summer than in
winter.
Assuming the dawn of a fine day when, through a deep layer, the air is humid
and the environmental lapse rate exceedsthe saturated adiabatic value, surface
heating starts bubbles of air rising. Typically the initial cloud base may be
around 1500 to 2000 feet. While the cloud is developing, the top is rounded and
cauliflower-like as it reachesupper levels. When it reachestemperatures of -loC
and colder, ice starts to become a feature of the upper parts of the cloud which
then take on a fibrous appearance. When ultimately the tropopause is reached,
its stability causes the air to spread out horizontally, especially downwind, to
give the typical anvil of a cumulonimbus. The associated flight conditions and
hazards are considered in Chapter 7: Thunderstorms.
During an unstable day over land, cumulus and cumulonimbus clouds due to
convection of surface air will be encountered in varying stagesof their life cycles.
It should be remembered too that in the 'bright intervals' between the towering
cumuliform clouds there are compensating down-currents of air. When the
convection dies down, the clouds decay leaving the sky for a while dotted with
large irregular massesof cloud, until overland eventually it all disperses during
the hours of darkness.
Turbulence cloud
Turbulence may occur at any level due to the friction between two differing
airflows where there is a marked windshear. It is even more common near to the
earth's surface due to friction between the lower atmosphere and the terrain
below, together with small-scale, localised orographic and convection effects.
Stable air
The simplest caseto consider is the formation of a sheet of stratocumulus cloud
due to turbulence, for which the basic requirements are:
(a) air of a sufficiently high humidity for it to become saturated within the
turbulence layer,
(b) a sufficiently strong wind speed (8 knots or more for all practical
purposes) so that air rising in the up-currents of the turbulence layer will
cool adiabatically, rather than have its temperature determined by
conduction to/from the underlying surface,
(c) a sufficiently strong wind for the underlying surface to produce a deep
enough turbulence layer to reach up to beyond the condensation level,
(d) a stable lapse rate so the cloud is restricted to the height to which the
turbulence lifts the air .
Sheetsof stratocumulus (or stratus where the cloud base is below 1000 feet)
commonly occur due to surface frictional turbulence.
Taking factors (a) to (d) in sequence, (a) determines the distribution of
"i the layer. The effect of the turbulent mixing is to produce a
mixing ratio through the layer (HlH2 in fig. 6.12).
66 METEOROLOGY
smooth air
H
E
I
G
H
T
Provided that the wind speed is strong enough, (b ), the lapse rate through the
layer will tend towards the adiabatic lapse rate -warmer at the bottom of the
layer, colder at its upper parts. Then if (c) also applies, the adiabatic cooling will
causethe air to become saturated when the path curve from P intersects H1H2 at
'the mixing condensation level' and produce cloud above this level.
Finally, given condition (d) the stable atmosphere will prevent air rising (and
producing cloud) beyond the height to which it is forced to rise by the turbulence.
This produces the sheet of cloud with very smooth flying conditions and a
temperature inversion above it.
The corresponding clouds formed at medium and high levels are altocumulus
and cirrocumulus respectively.
Unstable air
In an unstable airstream, the turbulence layer is of greater vertical extent than in
stable air and large cumuliform clouds develop. Often it is only academic
whether the towering cumulus have been triggered off by some orographic
CLOUDS AND PRECIPITATION 67
Fig.6.13
It is interesting that in the international system used for reporting cloud types,
the interpretation for large cumulus and for cumulonimbus with or without an
anvil recognises that although these are the dominant cloud types being
reported, stratocumulus or stratus may also be present. Mention should also be
made of turbulence clouds at higher levels such as altocumulus which are
'triggered off' to become characteristically cumuliform because of developing
instability. The triggering is most likely to be by the general uplift of air near to
a depression but may be by orographic uplift. The resulting cloud is altocumulus
castellanus, as shown in fig. 6.14.
The sprouting turret-like tops of the altocumulus, and possibly virga below, if
seenahead of the aircraft, are good indicators to pilots of a bumpy ride ahead
and the possibility of development in that area of cumulonimbus and
thunderstorms. Cirrus castellanus does also occur for similar reasons, but only
rarely.
Frontal cloud
This is dealt with fully in Chapter 12: Low Pressure Systems and Fronts. For
completenessof this chapter it will be noted that in the UK, where the terms are
in common use on radio and TV by the weather forecasters, the following
generalisations apply.
68 METEOROLOGY
Stable
When a large warm moist air mass overtakes a large cold air mass at a warm
front, the structure is usually stable so producing widespread stratiform cloud as
shown in fig. 6.15.
0018~
.::;:::.--="S' ~us
'"\- ~ y
~ ~r8hJS ..
~"
~r8hJS ~
500 kI ~ mMes
Unstable
Conversely, when a cold air mass overtakes a warm air mass at a cold front,
instability may well develop giving cumuliform cloud as shown in fig. 6.16.
~ ...
5O-Mmles
Precipitation
Although precipitation is a common topic of conversation in the British Isles, it
is probably as well to establish the meaning of terms associated with
precipitation in aviation meteorology , to avoid misunderstanding.
Continuity of precipitation
Three terms are used: continuous, intermittent, and showers.'Continuous' is self-
evident. Intermittent is applied to the state in which precipitation is discontinu-
ous when it is falling from a layer of cloud, as in fig. 6.17. Showers fall from the
individual cumuliform clouds with which they are associated, as in fig. 6.18.
CLOUDS AND PRECIPITATION 69
~ ~~.
"' -
hr/- .--!-
/- <: '
L ---? ' ,
--'-, "'-' -E
,
( 1..
-;
~' .~ '\-.,. )
<' ,-- ~- ~
'..~';;--
" .:'.',',..,.'
' .., ., ' ' ., .".,.,
, ' ..,
..:...: ,..,"..',~::.
,
Types of precipitation
Drizzle
Drizzle (, ) is liquid precipitation in the form of very small water drops, normally
very close together, indeed so small that their impact on an exposed water surface
is imperceptible. The droplets are so small that the up-currents against which
they are falling must be very weak and the air below the cloud very humid so that
the droplets do not evaporate. Drizzle is thus associated only with stratus and
stratocumulus cloud and, for the record, has a droplet size of up to 0.5 mm
diameter.
Rain
Rain (.) is the precipitation of water drops greater than 0.5 mm in diameter. On
striking a water surface, raindrops make a distinct splash.
Snow
Snow (*) is solid precipitation in the form of ice. It may take various forms. In
the UK, snow mostly occurs as snowflakes which are white, opaque, ice crystals.
At lower temperatures the flakes have an individual, six-pointed, crystalline
structure but at surface temperatures around 0C crystals amalgamate to give
large snowflakes. Snowflakes can occur at surface temperatures up to 4C and
a foot of freshly fallen snow is approximately equal to an inch of rainfall. In very
cold temperatures, the precipated ice may fall as 'granular snow' consisting of
small (less than I mm in diameter) white opaque grains or as ice needles, the
latter giving a scintillating fog -often nicknamed 'diamond dust' by the hardy
souls inhabiting such cold climes.
70 METEOROLOGY
Sleet
Sleet <:) in the UK means either snow that is melting as it falls to earth or a
mixture of snow and rain (or even drizzle) falling together becausethe surface air
temperature is just above 0C. However, although the international symbol (,fc)
reflects the state of affairs on this side of the Atlantic, beware, becausethe term
sleet may be used in general parlance in the USA to indicate frozen or freezing
precipitation.
Hail
Hail (~) comprises precipitation in the form of small balls or chunks of ice
which may vary in size from 2 to 5 mm in soft hail (or graupel) ( ~ ) to golf ball
or tennis ball size in the hail ( .) associated with violent thunderstorms, of which
more later.
Becausethey are also means by which water is deposited from the atmosphere,
dew and frost are included in precipitation totals recorded for a meteorological
station.
Formation of precipitation
Precipitation in general can be quite a significant weather factor to a pilot,
especially during the take-off and initial climb and then later in the approach and
landing phase. N ot only is it usually associated with a rapid lowering of the cloud
base but there is also a reduction in visibility at the same time as there may be
turbulence, downdraughts and gusty winds or squalls. In the casesof hailstones
or rain which is freezing as it falls, these bring their own additional hazards. Just
when and why a cloud system may be expected to produce precipitation is
therefore a matter of some importance to the pilot.
It has already been stated that a cloud water droplet will probably have a
diameter of 0.02 mm and that rain drops have a diameter of greater than 0.5 mm
(in fact, up to a maximum of 5.5 mm diameter). Whatever its size, the water drop
has mass and so will fall through the air around it at a speed called its terminal
velocity. The heavier the drop, the greater its terminal velocity. Of course, if the
air current in the cloud is travelling upwards as fast as or faster than the terminal
velocity downwards, then the water drop will not leave the cloud base. There are
two mechanisms by which cloud particles can grow large enough to fall as
precipitation:
Test questions
Ql. Most cloud in the UK is formed due to air cooling:
(a) by conduction
(b) by convection
(c) adiabatically.
Q2. Clouds with 'strat' in their names are:
(a) rain bearing
(b) layer type
(c) composed only of water drops.
Q3. Of the following clouds, the one with the lowest height is:
(a) altostratus
(b) stratocumulus
(c) stratus.
Q4. If altocumulus castellanus is seen ahead of the aircraft, this indicates:
(a) increasing stability
(b) increasing instability
(c) improving weather to probably cloudless skies.
74 METEOROLOGY
fronts are arranged along a line in a trough of low pressure and they move with
this trough in a direction perpendicular to the trough line. The line of
cumulonimbus will be shown on the meteorological station's radar so its future
movement can be reasonably forecast and when airborne, a pilot can check
progress on the aircraft's weather radar .Because of the greater frequency of cold
fronts in winter, this is the seasonwhen frontal thunderstorms are most likely to
be encountered in NW Europe. However, whether the storms will be met by day
or by night, over land or over the sea, is merely a matter of chance of timing of
the flight and the passage of the frontal trough across the flight path.
Although many storms follow the 700 mb (10000 ft) airflow the movement of
others, especially heat thunderstorms in cols and slack pressure gradients, is
more erratic.
Development
Although it involves some repetition of explanations made in Chapters 5 and 6
on instability and cloud formation, the serious hazards presented by the
development of cumulonimbus to pilots, particularly the inexperienced, more
than justify a restatement of the sequence of the formation process.
Observations show that the development of a cumulonimbus cloud can be
conveniently considered as having three phases:
I. Developing or cumulus phase (fig. 7.1)
2. Mature phase (fig. 7.2)
3. Dissipating phase (fig. 7.3)
For simplicity ofvisualising the sequenceof events, assumethe thunderstorm to
be developing inland on a hot and humid summer's day in a col.
ft~
...[, t -
/.. t ~ It\.,
Phase 1
Convection bubbles rise from the surface to produce small cumulus clouds
which, becauseof the instability, then merge to grow into a larger cumulus. This
is the start of a thunderstorm cell -probably of a diameter of one to five miles
and composed at this time only of up-currents. (The ultimate cumulonimbus will
be composed of a number of such cells in different phases of development, each
cell having a life-span of two to three hours. ) This developing or cumulus phase
may last for up to half an hour, with the original bubbles of rising air being
supplemented by entrainment of air from the environment around them. Flight
through the cumulus can be quite turbulent even at this stage as the speed of
ascent of the air in the individual cells will vary .
THUNDERSTORMS 77
Phase 2
Enough growth has now occurred so that droplets start to fall from the cloud. In
this mature phase probably lasting another 20-30 minutes, while the upper parts
of the cloud are still developing well above the OC level, the precipitation is
producing down-draughts in the cloud warming at approximately the SALR
value. The instability not only permits the cloud tops to build upwards but also
encourages the down-draught of the relatively cold cloudy air to burst out of the
cloud as a cool squall, often called the 'fust gust'. There is still entrainment to
supplement the vertical movement of air .
Phase 3
By this time, the original cells have spent most of their energy -in fact, most was
generated in the f1fSt lj2 to 3f4hour -although the cumulonimbus will probably
last another 2-3 hours. Visually, the ice crystal part of the cloud will be seen
spreading out as the anvil of the cumulonimbus while at low levels the
precipitation has become sporadic. Because a state of balance between the
,... -;:::---
~..
1
Fig. 7.3 Dissipating phase
~
78 METEOROLOGY
cloudy air and its environment is being effected, the vertical currents weaken.
There are still slight up-currents in the upper parts of the cloud but much of the
body and lower part of the cloud consists of subsiding air.
Because of the cellular nature of thunderstorms, there may well be new cells
forming while the older cells are decaying and the associated cloud is dissipating,
so it is not uncommon to see groups of clouds arranged as shown in fig. 7.4.
( .-,=,,--',~--
--:;;,--
\ ~
t..
~
c l.. {).,.
c.'t C"""
"") r.,
.':'~
Fig.7.4
Self-propagating storms
For ascending air currents to travel approximately vertically, ideally there
should be a flat calm at all heights and certainly no marked wind shear which
would sever them. Sometimes the wind does change with increase of height so
that, assuming that the instability over the area is great enough for a
thunderstorm still to develop, the axis of the cumulonimbus is tilted. In this case,
the vertical motion in and around the cloud will produce a strong forward cold
down-draught (gust front). This down-graught then in turn will cause the whole
cellular process to be repeated, i.e. the storms are self-propagating (fig. 7.5).
Accidents have occurred where pilots have kept a wary eye on an old anvilled
cumulonimbus only to commit themselvesto a long final approach path through
a newly forming large cumulus with its activity at its peak, between phases 1 and
2.
Lightning
Once the developing cloud contains ice crystals, a risk of lightning exists. As the
cumulonimbus matures, charges as shown in fig. 7.6 are distributed throughout
the cloud. When the potential difference between the charges has built up to a
critical strength so that it can overcome the resistance of the air separating them,
~l~~::::='""
r,
~')J,
J
~
~
THUNDERSTORMS 79
a discharge (the flash of lightning) occurs and neutralises the electrical field for
the time being. However, if the cumulonimbus cells are still active, the charges
immediately start to build up again. The discharge may be entirely within the
cloud, from cloud to cloud or from cloud to earth. Because the heat of the
lightning stroke causesthe air through which it is passing to expand explosively,
we hear the clap of thunder. Dividing by five the time interval in secondsbetween
a ground observer seeing a flash and hearing the thunder gives the distance away
in miles of the lightning, becausealthough the light is seeninstantaneously (or at
strictly 186000 miles per second), the sound will travel from the flash at
approximately one-fnth of a mile per second.
Hazards
From time to time, the CAA has thought it appropriate to issue a pink 'Safety'
Aeronautical Information Circular to remind pilots of the care required when
flying in the presence of thunderstorms. The carriage of weather radar on the
flight deck has enabled pilots to have early recognition of thunderstorms near the
flight path. It is prudent, and always appreciated by the passengers, to avoid
thunderstorms rather than to fly in or close to them if it is operationally feasible
to do so. All thunderstorms are potentially dangerous and their external
appearance is no guide to the severity of the hazards that may be expected. The
hazards, not in any order of priority, may be summarised as:
1. Base height. Many large cumuliform clouds have a base height of some 1500
feet or more above ground level so there is space for light aircraft to operate
beneath them if necessary. Once thundery precipitation starts, the cloud base
lowers and terrain clearance beneath the clouds becomes difficult to maintain.
Inside the thunderstorm the visibility may be down to 20 metres.
80 METEOROLOGY
2. Hail. Despite the mass of information which has been gathered since World
War II, there is still no means by which hail can be forecast to fall from particular
cumulonimbus clouds with 100% certainty. The forecaster can only provide a
pilot with a percentage probability at the best.
Soft hail or graupel are insignificant. Large hailstones, however, are a problem
and form when the up-currents prevent small, soft hail from failling out of the
cloud. These small stones are carried upwards, striking water drops which freeze
around them as a sheet of clear ice. Successivejourneys up and down give
alternate layers of soft and clear ice as well as the possibility of hailstones fusing
together. With the great vertical extent and strong up-currents of thunderstorms
in low latitudes, hailstones can build up to golf-ball or tennis-ball size. Although
the period involved in transiting the hail area of a thunderstorm may be relatively
short, damage from large hailstones can be considerable especially to radomes,
transparencies, upper and leading surfaces (including de-icer equipment). The
greater the aircraft's speed,the greater the damage and hail can be met anywhere
in or under the storm -even under an overhanging anvil.
~rknek:e
3. Icing. The subject of icing is dealt with as a topic in its own right in Chapter
9. Nevertheless, it should be noted that thunderstorm clouds give icing problems
both in the engine(s) and on the airframe. In a piston engine even at temperatures
above 0C there can be a serious loss of power while a turbine engine may suffer
a flame-out. One the airframe, the large supercooled water drops freeze to give
a rapid build-up of clear ice with its attendant problems of increased weight,
disturbed relative airflow decreasing lift and increasing drag, risk of control
surfaces becoming lesseffective, etc. Check the operation of all anti-icing and de-
icing equipment ana that the pitot heaters are switched on.
4. Instrument e"ors. Turbulent airflow around the aircraft and the localised
variations in pressure can produce rapid and serious errors in the readings of the
altimeter, airspeed indicator and vertical speed indicator. If the pressure head
suffers serious rain ingress or, worse still, ices up, the pressure instrument
readings are useless. Remember too that a lightning strike on the aircraft will
probably rearrange the aircraft's magnetism so the compass heading will be
suspect.
lightning is unlikely to suffer more than a scorch mark on the aircraft's skin.
Nevertheless the sudden brilliance of the flash, the noise, and sometimes the
burning smell, can be distracting to say the least. In a thunderstorm, lightning
may occur at any level but has been observed most frequently on test flights
between + 10C and -10C, that is, in a 10000 feet band about the freezing level.
To avoid the distraction and blinding effect, wind up the cockpit lighting to full.
At least one of the operating pilots on the flight deck should wear dark glasses.
5Okt~
---
25 kt tI88dwW.t ~~ ~ path
.
Research in the USA and accident investigations have also disclosed the
existence and potential hazards of 'dry microbursts'. In these, precipitation
falling from the thunderstorms into relatively dry air of the lower atmosphere
evaporates readily, and the large negative buoyancy produced acceleratesthe air
downwards entraining more very dry air. No precipitation then reaches the
surface but a microburst windshear occurs.
Following the same research, the US Federal Aviation Administration (F AA )
THUNDERSTORMS 83
initiated the 'low level windshear alert system (LL WAS)' at major US airports
where windshear problems are a frequent hazard. LL WAS detects not only
microbursts but also any hazardous windshear, as described on pages 129-31.
7. Precipitation. Apart from problems from virga under the cloud base and
from the possible ingestion of precipitation into the pitot head, forward visibility
is always seriously reduced in heavy precipitation. For departing and arriving
aircraft there are the hazards of wet runways to contend with.
Test questions
Q I. Thunderstorms are caused by:
(a) thunder and lightning
(b) anvil cumulonimbus
(c) instability, high humidity, trigger action
Q2. Frontal thunderstorms are mainly associated with:
(a) warm fronts
(b) cold fronts
(c) ridges of high pressure.
Q3. Orographic thunderstorms occur:
(a) at any time during the 24 hours
(b) almost exclusively during the daylight hours
(c) mostly after dark, between sunset and 2 am.
Q4. Heat thunderstorms occur over land in cols because:
(a) the humidity and ELR may be high and the wind speed low
(b) the land will be warmer than the sea
(c) warm fronts frequently occur.
84 METEOROLOGY
Q5. With a cumulonimbus cloud over the approach end of the runway a
microburst may be experienced:
(a) over or near the runway in use
(b) 15-20 km away, at the edge of the downward 'first gust'
(c) under the nearest self-propagated cumulus.
If a cumulonimbus has developed a large anvil:
(a) it has reached the beginning of the most active (mature) stage
(b) it is in the most active (mature) stage
(c) it has reached the third or dissipating stage.
Q7. If a thunderstorm 10 miles ahead is assessedas still being in the mature
phase, the pilot of a light aircraft:
(a) still has time to climb above the storm
(b) still has enough visibility and terrain clearance to pass beneath the
storm
(c) should alter heading to circumnavigate the storm.
Q8. When flying through a turbulent thunderstorm cloud, increasing up to
maximum speed (V NE):
(a) will enable the storm to be penetrated safely in the shortest time
(b) will probably cause the aircraft to suffer a high speed stall
(c) will greatly increase the risk of structural failure.
Q9. To minimise the effect of lightning striking an aircraft in flight, the pilot
should:
(a) wear dark glassesand turn the cockpit lighting to maximum
(b) turn off all the radios and unnecessary electrics
(c) engage the autopilot and relax.
The general rule relating to the probable direction of movement of a
thunderstorm observed to be 20 nm ahead of your aircraft is:
(a) it will follow the direction of the surface wind
(b) it will follow the direction of the 2000 ft wind
(c) that its motion is not reliably predictable.
8:
Visibility is of major importance to the pilot and is one of the parameters which
determine whether he can fly under Visual Flight Rules (VFR ) on the basis of'see
and be seen'. Legally flight visibility is defined as 'visibility forward from the
flight deck of an aircraft in flight'. When the meteorologist uses the term
'visibility' in discussions with a pilot he is referring to surface conditions and
means the maximum horizontal distance at which an object can be clearly
recognised by the naked eye. The object has to be of a size commensurate with
its distance away from the observer and ideally of a dar~ colour, on the horizon.
If there is a marked variation in the visibility observed in different directions,
then the visibility in the poorest direction is that reported. Particularly, a pilot is
interested in the visibility prevailing along the runway in use in the take-off and
landing direction and this requirement is catered for in poor visibility conditions
by the provision of Runway Visual Range (RVR) when the visibility is below
1500 m. This is a measurement service (not forecast) provided by Air Traffic
Control. If the RVR is measured by instruments called transmissometers (and
there may be three down the length of the runway) then the system is called
IRVR -Instrumented Runway Visual Range. The RVR and IRVR are properly
Air Traffic Services and as such are delat with in the latest edition of the
companion volume, Aviation Law for Pi/ots.
The basic gaseswhich constitute the atmosphere are all invisible. Pilots', and
other travellers', problems stem from the fact that the atmosphere is polluted
which comes between the observer's eye and the object which he is trying to
identify. For the following pages, the non-meteorological factors such as the
effect of a pitch-dark, overcast, moonless night, or an observer with less than
perfect vision will be ignored. The pollutant between the eye and the object may
be:
(a) falling- mainly as precipitation,
(b) rising- dust, sand, snow in a blizzard, etc.,
(c) held in suspension -fog, mist or haze.
Sometimes the pollution can be quite localised. At other times it is very
widespread. Whatever the distribution, pilots should be aware of the circumstan-
ces when the visibility may be expected to deteriorate and those under which it
will improve. Consider each of the casesin turn.
(a) Precipitation
Already mentioned in Chapter 6, visibility may fall to below 50 metres in thickly
falling snow, especially where flakes are large. Visibility is better in sleet and in
the UK it is better still in rain where, unless the rain is extremely heavy , visibility
86 METEOROLOGY
depressions or troughs of low pressure, then its arrival in a particular area can
usually be anticipated, but its effect may be widespread.
Covective storms
(i) Dust-devils. On a normal hot, sunny day in a desert or semi-desert area, the
development of strong convection may be followed by small local whirlwinds of
dust. Usually called dust-devils, they are also sometimes known as dust or sand
pillars becausethe dust is carried up in a column to 1000feet or more. They can
be relatively easily avoided but add to the general dust haze of the area.
(ii) Haboobs. These are much larger-scale storms of the Sudan and are described
in Chapter 15.
O coolair O
O
warm rain
though the cool air's relative humidity is 100%. This further evaporation
immediately re-condensesas visible fog which rises up in convection currents. If
the wind blows across cold icy areas to over fjords or breaks in the arctic ice sheet
where clear water is exposed, the water surface 'steams' into the air producing
fog. The fog is usually shallow but may be as much as 500 feet deep in a
Scandinavian fjord (fig. 8.2). The conditions for such fog formation require not
only low surface temperatures but also a pre-existing surface inversion of
temperature to inhibit the rapid development of instability.
Frontal fog
The accumulative evaporation from the raindrops falling through the cold air
ahead of a warm front for a matter of hours also produces a potential
supersaturation condition. In the main, the evaporation is re-condensed out as
stratus 'ofbad weather' under the main nimbostratus cloud sheet but at times the
condensation will occur at surface levels (fig. 8.3). In this case a belt of fog,
perhaps over 100 nm wide, will be formed along the length of the front and will
move along with the front, immediately ahead of its surface position.
Radiation fog
Although auto-land has enabled enterprising airlines using major airports to
continue their operations, radiation fog regularly prevents small aircraft from
taking off or landing. This fog may well form irregularly over a part of the
countryside so some aerodromes may have a total clamp while others are still
VISIBILITY AND FOG RQ
SIDE ELEVATION
~ ~
frontal fog
HI HI
would be as shown in fig. 8.4. The inversions shown in each caseresult from the
cooling process and are not prerequisites for the fog to form. If the vertical
thickness of the radiation fog is less than about 250 to 300 feet, the sky will
probably still be discernible.
The formation process gives the clue to the circumstances when radiation fog
will disperse. In winter when the nights are long, the absence of such
circumstances will mean that although the radiation fog may thin out a little
around lunch-time, it will thicken again in the late afternoon and evening and the
fog persists for some days. If there is enough daylight and the sun shines warmly
enough, then the fog will be evaporated away. First the fog may temporarily
thicken with the start of turbulence but then it will thin to mist and probably lift
to patches of thin wispy stratus (called 'lifted fog') before disappearing.
Alternatively, if the wind speedfreshens the visibility will improve. Either the fog
is lifted to low cloud (as in fig. 8.4(c)) or it is mixed with sufficiently dry air above
it for the fog to disperse and give clear skies.
winds), air cooled at night tends to drain down into and collect in low-lying areas
-some are known locally as 'frost hollows' -so these are the locations most likely
to be cooled enough to give radiation fog. Secondly, sheltered valleys experience
cooling of the air both from below and from the sides which are also cooling by
radiation, which produces lower temperatures when compared with flat terrain
cooling the air only from below (fig. 8.6).
Thirdly, valleys and low-lying regions tend to be the site of water courses so
that there are often locally higher relative humidities.
Although nothing like as bad as conditions were before the Clean Air Acts
were introduced, radiation fog will be worsened and more persistent if polluted
by domestic and industrial smoke in highly urbanised areas. The other areas
prone to radiation fog are marshes, fens and waterlogged ground generally. The
local relative humidities in light winds are so high in such localities that this more
than offsets any slight effect there might be of the moist ground cooling more
slowly than drier areas.
4. Pressuresystems. For reasons to be dealt with in later chapters, anticyclones,
ridges ofhigh pressure and cols bring light winds. Frequently too, they have little
or no cloud. These pressure systems are therefore the synoptic situations in
which the fog should be expected and as anticyclones are usually slow-moving,
they give the most persistent radiation fog.
5. Sha//ow eveninggroundfog/mist. Sometimes a shallow layer of radiation fog
may form around dusk causing a problem, particularly to light aircraft operating
from small grass airfields. Typically this could occur when a cold front clears the
airfield on a late afternoon in autumn with skies quickly clearing and winds
dropping light. Then the wet surfaces give locally high relative humidities and the
evening cooling produces the mist or fog. This may then thicken and deepen
from the shallow layer, as already described. However, if the wind falls to calm
the ground fog will be replaced by dew while if the winds freshen as a polar
maritime airstream becomes established, the visibility may well become good
soon afterwards.
Advection fog
In this case the air is cooled by conduction from below because it has moved
horizontally to a colder surface area (fig. 8.7). The surface temperature 'B' has to
be colder than the dew point temperature of the incoming air' A " but wind
speedscan be much stronger than with radiation fog, up to 20 to 25 knots over
92 METEOROLOGY
moist air
up to 25 k~s
0
-
///////////~"""""""" ~"""
WARM SURFACE COlDSURFACE @
the sea. Although the same remarks apply about the turbulence causing
adiabatic cooling, a strengthening of wind speedsin advection fog from say 5 to
15 knots merely brings in the moist air faster for cooling by the underlying
surface. Typical situations for advection fog to form are as follows (figs 8.8 to
8.11) and in each case, for the fog to disperse, either the wind direction must
change markedly -the most likely cause -or it must freshen up towards gale
force (when the fog will lift into very low cloud), while over land (fig. 8.8) the fog
may also be dispersed by solar heating. In the casesshown in figs 8.9,8.10 and
8.11 there is no diurnal variation in the fog, which is just as likely to be
encountered out at sea (say when operating to an off-shore oil rig) by day as at
night. In all cases,provided the basic airflow is maintained over the cold surface,
advection fog will form irrespective of the cloud cover or pressure system.
1. Advectionfog over land. This is most likely in the autumn and winter when the
sea is still relatively warm and the land is cooling or already cold (fig. 8.8).
2. Advectionfog over the sea with air movingfrom the land This is most likely to
occur in the spring and summer when land temperatures have warmed up while
the seahas remained cool. In order for the land air to become sufficiently humid,
'\7~
the air may pass for some distance over open sea before the fog forms. The haar
blown in from the North Seato the east coast of Britain is typical of such fog (fig.
8.9).
3. Advection fog over a cold sea cu"ent. In some parts of the ocean, some sea
currents are much colder than nearby areas which may even contain warm water
currents. Such situations occur off Japan and Newfoundland. Warm moist air
blown over the cold current will produce advection fog. Figure 8.10 depicts air
blown from the Gulf Stream to the Labrador Current. It may occur at any
seasonbut in summer, land air from the North American continent can also give
fog over the Labrador Current.
4. Advection fog in air moving over the ocean to higher latitudes. Except for
localities where there are warm or cold sea currents, sea temperatures decrease
gradually with latitude from the equator to the poles. In some synoptic
situations, as for example that shown in fig. 8.11, air can be moved appreciable
distances over sea of steadily decreasing temperature.
The gradual decreasein sea temperature from 'I' to '2' to '3' reduces the air
temperature to below the original dew point temperature and widespread
advection fog r,:;sults. Fog often forms in the south-western approaches to the
English Channel for this reason and depending upon whether the wind direction
is more westerly or more southerly so the fog spreads either up the Channel or
into the Celtic Sea,often hampering operations from coastal aerodromes as well
as from offshore rigs.
Fig. 8.11 Advection fog forming in air moving into colder latitudes
-"
fig. 8..12 Hill or upslopefog
not, of which the base is obscuring high ground is a state of hill fog for an
observer on the high ground.
Mixing fog
Although theoretically possible, it is doubtful whether, on any of the occasions
when it might have been claimed that mixing caused the fog to form, there were
no other equally good causesfor the condensation. The requirements are for two
air masses of very humid air but of very different temperatures to mix (for
example, 'A' and 'B' in fig. 8.13). When mixed together, the final mixture 'C'
could have a water vapour content in excess of the amount 'D' necessary to
saturate the air at its new temperature. Thus this excess'CD' would condense
and be suspended(in the turbulence associated with the mixing) as fog. No doubt
the mixing process may aid the thickening of fogs formed due to other causes,on
which it would probably be better for pilots to focus their attention.
Smoke haze
As already mentioned in the description of radiation fog, the Clean Air Acts
have improved the visibility generally over the UK in recent years. Smoke may
*H "
I ,
"
,
"
v w
Fig.8.14 Visibility from the air
VISIBILITY AND FOG 97
proportionately (on the principle of similar triangles) does the oblique visibility.
Ultimately, when the aircraft is on the approach at A within the haze layer or fog,
the visibility will be poorest with the end of the runway 'W' coming into view
overhead 'V' at a slant range of x.
Away from a given direction, the distance at which ground objects can be
recognisedfrom the air may well vary with the relative position of the sun or even
a fairly full moon. Because of the minimum glare that a pilot will experience
when looking down-sun ground features directly away from the direction of the
sun will be seen to greater ranges than when looking towards the sun. On the
other hand, in bright moonlight when glare is no problem, objects can be most
easily identified when looking towards the moon when reflection can help in
their recognition.
Test questions
Ql. For radiation fog to form, the requirements are:
(a) light winds up to 10 knots, high humidity, instability
(b) cloudless inland night, high humidity, wind 2 to 8 knots
(c) clear skies, calm to 2 knots wind, high humidity.
Q2. Prerequisites for the formation of steaming fogs are:
(a) unstable lapse rate, high humidity, water warmer than the air
(b ) inversion, low air temperature, water much warmer than the air
(c) high humidity, lapse rate approximately ISA, water warmer than
the air.
Q3. Advection fog forms:
(a) only over land
(b) only over sea
(c) over land and over sea.
Q4. Radiation fog forms most frequently in:
(a) anticyclones, ridges and cols
(b) troughs of low pressure
(c) depressions and cols.
Q5. You are making an early winter night cross-country flight over land and
at the time of collecting your forecast the surface conditions at your last
landing point were cloudless, calm and the dewpoint temperature 2 C deg
below the air temperature. Assuming that it is 2y2hours before dawn and
no change of air mass occurs, the possibility of radiation fog at that last
landing point:
(a) is unlikely
(b) is most likely between midnight and dawn
(c) is greatest just after dawn.
Q6. Flying in the circuit on a cloudless winter day in the UK with a surface
haze layer, visibility will be poorest when landing:
(a) on runway 31 at 1400 hours local time
(b) on runway 25 at 1000 hours local time
(c) on runwav 25 at 1500 hours local time-
98 METEOROLOGY
surfaces,soon alters the profile so that the relative airflow is disturbed. Not only
is there an increasein drag but it is accompanied with a reduction in lift so the
llft/drag ratio is quickly eroded. Because all surfaces (including propellers)
exposedto the relative airflow are affected, ice accretion on the tailplane, fin and
all control surfaceswill impair their efficiency and can ultimately lead to loss of
control. For example, this can happen due to icing on the tailplane when flaps
are lowered on the approach. Flutter set up by quite thin layers of ice on control
surfacescan lead subsequentlyto structural damage.
(c) Weight
The increasein all-up weight due to icing is not negligible, so requiring more lift
and hence more power to maintain level flight. If the ice accumulatesunevenly
there may be a changein the air craft's centre of gravity and henceits'weight and
balance'.
(d) Vibration
Apart from the flutter mentioned in (a) above, serious vibration can also result
from an unbalanced distribution of icing, not so much due to irregular formation
but more due to an unequal breaking away of ice.
(e) Aerials
On older airctafl, ice on aerials can impair communications and in the caseof
'whip'
aerials may lead to their vibration and eventual fracture.
fi Instnmtent readings
If, despiteuse of the pitot heater, ice blocks the pressurehead or static vent then
the pressureinstruments - machmeter, airspeedindicator, altimeter and vertical
speed indicator - will give false readings (or even no reading!).
(g) Transparencies
often ice can first be detected visually by its appearancein flight in the corners
of windshields. Allowed to develop, vision will quickly become obstructed.
(c) Rime
Rime is the result of freezing fog and forms when the temperature falls to below
the dew point temperature to produce fog and then falls further to below 0oC.
The fog droplets then become supercooled.As they drift gently along and come
into contact with objects with surface temperatures below OoCsuch as parked
aircraft, the disturbed droplets turn to ice. The ice is therefore found on the
windward side and builds out into the wind. It is a rough, white, opaque, porous
deposit (and often used by photographers to produce picturesque Christmas
cards using frosted treesand shrubs as their subjects).It is the form of ice around
the lining of the domestic refrigerator or deep-freeze.
Although all ice must be removed before take-off, there are therefore various
forms of frost and it must be clearly understood which type is being forecast
when assessingwhether operations at the planned time will be possible and if so,
what will be involved in the clearing of the aircraft and possibly the airport
facilities. In fact, eight different frost terms may be met in the UK:
I. Ground froJl - temperature of OoC or colder measured by a horizontal
thermometer lying touching grass I to 2 inches in length.
2. Air frost - air temperature below 0'C in a thermometer screen4 feet above
ground level.
102 MErEoRoLocY
Action pre-flight
1. If it is your responsibility for safeguarding the aircraft between flights, heed
frost warnings for the period prior to your flight so that the aircraft can be best
protected against the elementsso minimising the de-icing required to prepare the
aircraft for service.Ideally, keep it in a heated hangar!
2. Fit all orifice fuards, covers,engineblanks before starting to de-ice.Although
some loose snow can be brushed off, de-icing fluid of the correct strength will
really be neededto clear it all offtogether with any frost and ice.
3. Surfaces which remain wet from under-strength de-icing fluid will in fact
enhance re-formation of icing or packing snow especially if there is any delay
betweende-icing and taking off. In fact, it is not bad practice to tend to finish the
de-icing with some over-strength fluid on leading edgesof all surfaces to give
some anti-icing protection.
4. Remove all the covers,guards, blanks, etc., and check that all orifices are clear
of ice. snow or slush. At the same time , double check that all inlets and outlets,
vents, hinges, exposed operating mechanisms,sealsand gaps between surfaces
are completely clear of contamination.
5. Check that the de-icing fluid has not cleaned away greasefrom vital areas.
6. Do not taxy if there is likely to be a hold which will negate all the de-icing
procedures that have been carried out.
7. When taxying, remember the advice already given in Chapter 6 for operating
on contaminated runways and use engine anti-icing, carburettor heat and
propeller de-icing as appropriate.
8. Keep well clear of the other aircraft taxying ahead.Itis not aclever idea to put
your aircraft in the wake ofthe hot engine exhaust ofthe aircraft in front ofyou
to keep your aircraft de-iced.
9. Immediately prior to take-off re-check that all the visible surfaces are still
uncontaminated by snow or ice and that all anti-icing devicesavailable have been
set. Remember that there may be very cold fuel in wing tanks which will be
conducting heat away from wing surfaces, so inducing ice formation. Once
airborne, be ready to operate the de-icing equipment as appropriate.
Temperature
For all practicalpu{poses,supercooledwaterdropsmay be encountereddown
-40oC' larger drops
to -40.C. Only the smallestdrops can be supercooledto
beingsupercooled to a lesserextent.As eachdrop is struckby an aircraftit starts
to ctiangefrom liquid to solid,i.e. ice.Becausethe latentheatof fusionof ice is
80 caloriesper gram,one-eightiethof a supercooled drop freezeson impactfor
eachC degofsupercooling (fig. 9.1)'
-*"- *s'c
4 \ \
1
30/80 fteezeon impacl gSOfreeze on impac't
air lempralure
o
@"c
O O
(H) othedropno,vs
x /SoLeez
on impacl back to treze lrac,tionaly
laler by conductbn
Kinetic heating
Although ftg.9.2 shows an aircraft which has acquired the same temperature
(-x"C) as its environment, this may not be true for fast aircraft. However, for
relatively slow aircraft cruising in level flight at speedsup to, say, 250 knots, this
is a realistic approximation.
Kinetic heating arisesfrom the airflow around the aircraft from two sources
- compressibility and frictional effects.Compressibility at the stagnation points
in the relative airflow heats the air adiabatically. Where the relative airflow is
greatest(and the compressibility heating least) there is maximum heating due to
friction between the air and the aircraft surface. The temperature rise in C deg
due to kinetic heating on and near leading edgesis given by:
/ \ '
Temperature rise (c deg) = (TAl-!-nots )
\ r 0 0 I
e.g. for 500 knots, the temperature rise will be 25 C deg.
Sometimesthe kinetic heating may be offset to some degree.This occurs when
the aircraft surfacehas becomewet, say by flying through cloud. The wet surface
then evaporates its moisture away using latent heat of vaporisation (which is
around 600 calories per gram). In practice, the rule is to use the indicated air
temperature in assessingthe icing risk as the thermometer element itself will be
subject to both the kinetic heating and the cooling due to latent heat of
vaporisation.
Airspeed
Increasing air speed servesto increase the rate of catch of water drops in the
aircraft's flight path so acting in the same way as an increaseof cloud density.
largedroplets,
highcloud
4-l-;att -:
rfrfrud-oe,onl,,-.-
droptets, seriousicing
density,
_-y icing.- ._
- : _ slighttomoderate
c--
9.4(b) supporting larger drops in denser cloud and probably with a lowered
freezing level. The consequentincreasein severity and rapidity ofice accretion
while flying in apparently unchanged IMC can quickly lead to a serious
situation. Although the effect might reasonably be anticipated over high ground
such as the Alps or the Scottish Highlands, pilots should also beware that the
problem of a sudden and rapid build-up of icing can also be encountered over
hills of more modest dimensions such as the Wolds of Lincoln or Yorkshire, the
Chilterns or The Downs.
Hoor frost
Hoar frost occurs in moist cloudlessair which is cooled by a cold aircraft moving
from a colder layer, so that the air in contact with the aircraft surface is cooled
to below OoCand to below its frost point. This could occur either following a
rapid descent or after taking off into a marked surface inversion such as on a
winter's night in a cold country (fig. 9.5(a) and (b)).
relatvelywam lltrrnld ak
Rime ice
Rime ice occurs under flight conditions which are the equivalent of freezing fog,
i.e. small supercooled water drops in cloud with a relatively low rate of catch.
When these water drops freeze almost instantaneously, small ice particles are
produced along leading edgeswith air entrapped between them to give a rough
white opaque deposit, with little spread-back over the mainplanes etc. Typical
conditions to give rime ice are illustrated in fig. 9.6.
Clear ice
Clear ice occurs when the aircraft encounters large, slightly supercooled water
drops giving a high rate of catch. This may occur in densecloud or in rain. The
freezing of the supercooled water drops is relatively slow so that while some ice
is formed on impact, most of the water spreads back while freezing to give a
healry, adhesive, clear or translucent deposit of ice with a glassy surface. The
densecloud conditions are usually as depicted in fl'g. 9.7.
ICING t0'7
(a) clouds of limitedverticalextent,in temperaturesbetween0oC and -40"C, such as
^ffi--
/<-
t
-- -
- Y/
'
RIME
- -
^'
*
^
--_J
-A
4dL d_
stratus, altocumulus,'fair-weather'
stratocumulus, cumulus
(b)upperpartsof dense
clouds,
eilirer
'>_v_-"----.!>'--
_-_--
-v--* --\
-40.c .1
-\
-J --- ,,
/ ' - Y . R I M E \yr
I
( -10"c \_
- -/-:-'--- -- -
f - --
--:
nimbostratus -100Cand-40oC
between
-20oCand-40oC
between
or toweringcumulusor cumulonimbus
Cloudy (mixed)ice
Cloudy (mixed) ice occurswhen conditions are intermediatebetweenthose
quotedfor rime and for clearice, arisingfrom the wide rangeof supercooled
waterdrop sizesbetween0"C and -40oC,varyingcloud density,etc.
The smallerthe drop sizeand the lower the temperature,the morerough and
rime-likewill be the cloudy ice that is formed. Conversely,the largerthe drop
size,the nearerthe temperatureto OoCand the higher the rate of catch,the
smootherand glassierwill the icebecome.Also if the cloud containsicecrystals
aswell asthe freezingwaterdropsthey will becomefrozenin the ice accretion,
giving a roughercloudierform.
Cloudy (mixed)ice is unlikely in stratocumulus,altocumulusor altostratus
unlessthe cloud has beenformed orographically.It is most likely in towering
cumulus,cumulonimbusand orographiccloud at temperaturesaround -20oC
andin nimbostratusaround-5'C to -l0oC dependingupon thedegreeoffrontal
activity.
108 MErEoRoLocY
(a)towering orcumulonimbus
cumulus 0oCand-20oC
between
( rCE
CLEAR CLEARICE
, 1
0"c
towering
cumulus cumulonimbus
or (b)dense
nimbostratus 0oCand-10oC
between
cloud,particularly
or (c)orographic nimbostratus
altostratus, between
andstratocumulus 0oCand
-200c
0"c
{."
Packed snow
If snowflakesare met while flying in icing conditions they will becomeembedded
on the airframe ice accretion making the deposit opaque, which may be referred
to as'packed snow'as on the ground. It may not be particularly densecompared
with clear or cloudy ice but it can be very effective in blocking intakes and
apertures.
.{,-'{
('
(
{_)
Fig. 9.8 Avoid detachedcloudsgivingsevereicing
,/"
'r
,(
?'
(b) cllmblf sulfrdenlfrorverresew
/---\
\ly
vlli
Il
3. turn back while the aircraft still has full manoeuvrability. Certainly this is the
safestoption in freezing rain, subject to air traJfic control. It may then be possible
to obtain ATC clearancefor another altitude or route clear'of the icing region.
If not, it will be necessaryto divert to the specified alternate and to wait for
conditions to improve (fig. 9.9).
t'
t o l.-.- intakeair
rt t
Fig. 9. l0 Carburettor ice
and some authorities consider that the most seriousicing occurs at outside air
temperaturesof around *l3oC, but it all dependsupon the particular engine.
3 . Suspectits onset in level flight ifthe aircraft has:
(a) a fixed pitch propeller and there is a slight drop in rpm and airspeed
(preceding rough running, by which time action should have been
taken)
(b) a constant speedpropeller and there is a drop in manifold pressureand
airspeed
(c) an exhaust gas temperature (EGT) indicator which shows a drop in
temperature.
4. Use carburettor heat. Normally it will need to be fully ON, for the reasons
given in the preceding paragraph. Becauseice in the induction systemcannot
be melted and cleared instantaneously, CAA's advice is to allow up to 15
secondsfor the processto be completed. Except for take-off, the continuous
use of hot air is not normally permitted for an engine - again follow the
manual.
5 . Finally remember that, like carbon monoxide poisoning from exhaust leaks,
carburettor icing can sneakup on the pilot and failure to deal with it will have
dire results.
Testquestions
Ql. Whenfog freezeson a parkedaircraft it produces:
(a) hoar frost
(b) rime
(c) glazed frost.
Q2. Frost point temperature is:
(a) 0"C
(b) the temperature at which fog freezes
(c) the sub-zero temperature at which air becomes saturated at the
surface.
Q3. Glazed frost forms on a parked aircraft when:
(a) there is a cold cloudless night with no wind
(b) rain freezes
(c) fog and dew freeze.
Q4. One of the ways in which packed snow may be removed from a parked
aircraft is by:
(a) brushing it off
(b) taxying quickly down a perimeter track to blow it off
(c) storing it in a heated hangar.
Q5 When using de-icing fluid to remove ice from a parked aircraft, air
intakes:
(a) should be kept clear of, as they will de-ice when the engine starts
(b) should be blanked off and carefully cleared separately
(c) should be cleared last using diluted fluid to which detergent has
been added. i
rcrNc I 13
Although the last of the individual elements to be considered, wind speed has
had to be mentioned in earlier chapters in connection with weather conditions as
diverseas fog and thunderstorms. It is therefore not the leastsignificant property
of the atmosphere and indeed, as already mentioned under squalls and micro-
bursts, it may well present ahazard of its own.
The convention when a forecaster presentsinformation on horizontal motion
of the atmosphere to a pilot is that he stateswind velocity (w,/v) i.e. both wind
'surface wind 180'T/
direction in "True and wind speedin knots. For example,
20 kt' means a wind blowing from l80oT (south or north) at an averagespeedof
20 knots (becausethe wind speedis not constant).
'veering' and 'backing'' A veer of
Changesof wind direction are described as
wind is a change of wind direction in a clockwise manncr, e.g. from 090oT to
180'T. The wind backs where there is a change of direction in an anticlockwise
manner e.g. from 315'T to 270"T. (fig. 10.1).The terms veer and back apply in
the same manner in both the northern and southern hemispheres.
Terms used in describing windspeed include:
Gust - atemporary increasein windspeed above its mean value lasting for a few
seconds.
Lull - a decreasein windspeed, not necessarilytemporary.
Squall - a marked increasein the mean value of the windspeed lasting for some
minutes and usually associated with a meteorological feature (e.g. as with a
thunderstorm - Chapter 7). A squall may be sufficiently strong to cause
substantial damage to aircraft, and not just to light aircraft. For example, at
London/Gatwick in December 1992 it was reported that on a morning when
winds blowing across the area generally were 210/13 kt in a cold and very
unstable westerly airstream, the sudden increasein windspeed was sufficient to
causeconsiderable damage to two Boeing 747s which wele on the stands ready
for baggageand catering loading, by moving and lifting them on to the loading
trolleys.
| 23n hrg
,,-:b
(a) VEER cloc*wise charBe (b) BACKING anti-clockwisechare
FREE +
ATMOSPHERE
airflow almosl horizontal
vgv:i(1-z
"1
ATMoSPHERE
)
,,/
992 mb 988 mb
HIGH HIGH
Geostrophicforce (F)
Once the air starts moving over the surfaceof the rotating earth it will be held to
the earth's surfaceby gravity but tends to follow a straight path in space.The air
appearsto be acted upon by an earth's turning (geo-strophic) force which acts at
right angles to the path of the moving air. It acts to the right in the northern
hemisphereand to the left in the southern hemisphere.Mathematically its value
may be expressedas:
2Vpa sin g
where Z= windspeed
p : air density
o: = earth's rotational rate in radians per second
(D = latitude
It is representedgraphically in fig. 10.4.
Geostrophic effect is sometimes alternatively known as Coriolis after the
French professor at the Ecole Polytechnique in Paris, Gustave Gaspard de
Coriolis, who first enunciated it in 1835.(He also wrote the mathematical theory
of the game of billiards!)
wrNDS ll7
northernhemisphere southemhemisphere
,/
F\ r/
V
Cyclostrophicforce (C)
If air is moving around a small circle, it is constrained on its circular path by
centripetal force acting towards the centre of the turn. Strictly it is only the
horizontal component ofcentripetal force - cyclostrophic force - which needsto
be consideredso far as the wind is concerned.Acting radially towards the centre
of curvature, whatever the latitude or hemisphere, cyclostrophic force has a
magnitude of:
p lzcot 0
E
where:
p = a[ density
Z : wind speed
0 = angular radius of the isobar along which the wind is blowing
E : earth's radius
This is representedgraphically in fig. 10.5.
(a) Straight, equidistant isobars which ure not changing with time: geostrophic
wind
In this case,the pressuregradient (G) is constant in a particular region (frg. 10'6)'
Suppose some air of density p in the northern hemisphere is at rest when it
becomesacted upon by the pressuregradient force G. The unbalanced force will
ll8 METEOROLOGY
causethe air to acceleratein the direction in which the force is applied. Consider
the situation by the time that the air has travelled from A to B and geostrophic
force has started to apply. At B and at speed Z, the pressuregradient is still G.
Geostrophic force F (acting perpendicularly to the right) will still be relatively
small at the speed 2,. The accelerationat B from speedZ, will be in the direction
of, and proportionate to the magnitude of, the resultant of G and F (BP)'
Subsequently at points C and D, while pressure gradient force G remains
unchanged, geostrophic force F is progressively increasing at speedsVrand Vt
and turning further to the right to remain at right angles to the direction of
motion. At C its acceleration is proportionate to resultant CQ while at D,
although it has increased its speed to Vr, the acceleration proportional to
resultant DR will be small. Finally the state will be reached eventually (E) at a
speed Zr* when the air is travelling parallel to the isobars with forces G and F
equal and opposite so that there is no resultant and henceno further acceleration
'geostrophic'.
(or deceleration). The flow is then said to be
Geostrophic wind may thus be deJined as the wind blowing along stroight,
equidistant isobars not changing with time, with lower pressure on the left in the
northern hemisphere,under the balance ofpressure gradient and geostrophicforces
only.
The geostrophic wind equation is:
d p . / d s= 2 V p a s i n q (2)
voo
HIGH
nottnmhemisptue
Fig. 10.7 Balance offorces in geostrophic flow
1010
lm 6050 40 3025 n 15
multi-lalitudescale
(b) Regularly cuwed, equi.distantisobqrs which are not changing with time:
gradient wind
In this case,although the magnitude of the pressure gradient force is constant
over the region, its direction is variable (frg. 10.9).In the caseofisobars around
a depression (cyclonic curvature) the force is directed radially inwards and
around an anticyclone the pressuregradient force is radially outwards from the
centre of curvature of the isobars. It will be rememberedthat cyclostrophic force
also acts radially on air moving on a curved path so it will either augment or
reduce the pressuregradient force. On the other hand, using a geostrophic wind
scale will give the geostrophic wind speed corresponding to the pressure
gradient.
Windsabove2000feet
(a) Contoarcharts
Ifit werethepracticeto draw isobarsfor 10000,20000,30000feet,etc.,thenthe
foregoingrulesand equationsapplicableat 2000feetwould alsobe applicableto
thesehigherlevels.As explainedin ChapterI, however,this is not the practice
and the procedureis to havecontourchartsofspecifiedpressurelevelse.g.700
mb, 500mb, 300mb, etc.Insteadof wind speedbeingproportionalto pressure
gradient(expressed asdp,/ds)it is proportionalto the contourslope(dVds) and
this in fact simplifiesthe geostrophicwind equationby eliminatingthe variable
air densityterm.
h2
dh dp
Fig.10.10
Again depending upon the curvature of the contours, the scale value will
underestimate the actual gradient wind speed with anticyclonic curvature and
overestimate the gradient wind speedwith cyclonic curvature.
F i g .1 0 . 1 1
wrNDS 123
For example,the strengthof the thermalwind componentbetween2000ft
and 20000ft whenthe gradientof meantemperatureis 4 C degl100nm will
be:
I x 4 x (20-2): 4 x l8 : 72 knots
The oneknot constantstrictlyappliesat latitude50oso if the formula is usedat
a much differentlatitude,multiply the answerby sin 50o,/sincorrectlatitude.
The reasoningfor the rules for the direction and speedof the thermal
componentof the upper wind is asfollows.
CqseI. whenupper wind : 2000ft wind i.e. thereis no thermalcomponent.
This situationariseswhenthepressuredistributionis thesameat both lowerand
upperlevels.Because everywhere pressurehasdecreased with heightby thesame
amount,everywhere musthavehadthesamemeantemperaturebetweenthetwo
levels.Hencethefirst relationship:wherethereis no horizontalgradientof mean
temperature,thereis no thermalcomponent.
Case2. Whenthereis no lowerwind and theupperwind is composedentirelyof
thethermalcompbnent(fig. 10.12).
s!>
hUt low
moan mean
ternp. temp.
rorlhemhemisphere
A
R
'-.M----'
northernhemisDhere
lowerwind
Fig. 10.13
WINDS 125
The thermal wind componentis thus parallel to the thicknessisoplethsand
proportionalto their gradient.
upperwv
HIGH
Fig. 10.14
2. If the lowest upper air mean temperaturesare coincident with the area of high
pressure at low levels, then the wind speed will decreasewith height from the
samedirection. Ultimately it will become zero and then start to increasefrom the
reciprocaldirection (fig. 10.15).
Veclorially, In sequence
3. If the lower wind is blowing towards the area of coldest upper air
temperatures then the wind will veer with increase of height in the northern
hemisphereand back with height in the southern hemisphere(fig. 10.16).The
opposite applies when the lower wind is blowing towards the warmest air.
4. Away from low latitudes where geostrophic force is nil or negligible and the
upper winds are light easterly, in the troposphere winds become increasingly
westerly with height. This applies in both hemispheresand up to the tropopause
where upper winds are often 100 knots or more. On entering the lower
stratosphere, the wind speeds start to decrease again. In summer over NW
Europe, it is almost invariably the case that the lower stratosphere in higher
latitudes is warmer than it is in lower latitudes so reversing the temperature
gradient and eroding the thermal component. This is often true too in spring and
t26 METEOROLOGY
COLD AIR
increasir
t|ormal
coatrponeftl
COLDAIR
N hemisphere S hemisphere
withheight
Fig. 10.16 Windchange
Windsbelow2000feet
Leaving aside for the moment local winds which are associatedwith the
topographyof the area,e.g.seabreezesat a coastalaerodromeon a summer
afternoon,certaingeneralrules apply to the winds encounteredin the lower
atmosphere.
Effect of sarfacefriction
Ii hasbeenseenthat, from the balanceofforces actinghorizontallyon the air'
at 2000feetthe wind would be geostrophicor gradientdependingupon whether
the isobarsarestraightor curved.At thesurface,thefriction betweenthe air and
the underlying surfacehas also to be consideredand may be represented
vectoriallyasa forceactingin a reciprocaldirectionto that of the air's motion'
Theforcewill decrease thewind speedand,because it is proportionalto thewind
speed,the geostrophic force(fig. 10.17).
127
surfacefriction
northern hemisphere
The resultant of geostrophic and surface friction forces then balances the
pressure gradient force with the wind blowing slightly across the isobars (0)
towards the lower pressure.On an average:
Over the land Over the sea
0=20" 0: l0o
speed:40Vo of 2000ft wind speed= 80Voof 2000 ft wind
However, to be realistic, friction is irregular even over the sea and the precise
value of the surface wind at a particular point and time will depend not only on
the friction but also on the degree of turbulence mixing the air in the lower
--4,
/\
?J ) -
u
) ' J
M
(a)shallowhrrbiencr (bldeep twbulence
LOVI/ tow
0lt
-t
-/ -on
- / -
2(xni' zmn
N hemlsohere
atmosphere. If conditions are very stable and turbulence is weak (fig. 10.18(a))
the concentrated frictional effects on the surface wind are greater than when
there is a deep and vigorous turbulence layer (fig. 10.18(b)) distributing the
frictional effect through the deeper layer.
Apart from variations in lapserate, there is over land a diurnal variation in the
vertical extent ofthe turbulence layer, being a deep layer by day, a shallow layer
by night (fig. 10.19).
---* +
2000 fl
--g
/+\-, +
_
- ) ) ({ -r' +
.+ *
a J *n J ) ----* -------*.
)i
1000fr
2
" ) J
)
?
4r. - - a
C', J )
)
) ofr
' '2'-2^2
-.t
"
ofl
0fr
4 1m0fi
2m0fr 4_-iffih
-2ooofr
Wind gradient
Not to be confused with the primary causeof wind, pressuregradient, nor with
the gradient wind around curved isobars, wind gradient is the term used to
t29
10H tmrc
LINE
WINOSHEAF
15kl hvc
/ac'lual f,ightpath, if no conec{ive ac-tiontaken
5h :=
(a)aircraftlandingin windshear
conditions
10 kt hwc
4
glide slope
Cto
l}to
:>
takingoff in windshear
(c) aircraJt conditions
Windshear
There are various definitions of windshear of which 'a marked hoizontal and/
or vertical change of wind speed andlor direction' is commonly quoted. The
pink Flight Ops definitive AIC uses'Variations in vector wind along the aircraft
flight path of a pattern, intensity and duration to displace an aircraft abruptly
from its intended path such that substantial control action is required' and
130 MErEoRoLocY
\ _ /
Should the airflow be acrosshigh ground, then the wind will flow most readily
through any valleys, mountain passes,etc., that traverse the mountain range.
The speedof the wind through the valley due to this channelling or'funnel' effect
may reach well over gale force. Generally, of course,in narrow valleys, the wind
tends only to blow up or down the valley anyway, with only a tenuous adherence
to Buys-Ballot's Law $rg.10.22).
t{tct{
Fig. 10.22 Ravinewinds
lentbularcloud
'-t+ -
The orographic cloud formed on the mountains is called cap cloud (but may
have a particular local name) and above it and downwind there is lenticular
cloud. Clouds also form in the rotor zone and these clouds while perhaps
appearing innocuous do in fact conceal extremely turbulent flying conditions.
The surface turbulence layer in these circumstancesis in no way limited to the
2000 feet assumed for general purposes earlier in this chapter. Immediately
downwind of the mountains (and through a substantial depth of atmosphere)
there is a strong down-draught followed very quickly by a strong up-draught.
The motion remains turbulent downwind resulting in either roll (rotor) cloud
which, like the lenticular cloud, appears to remain stationary in its position in
relation to the mountains, or rotor streaming where there is a continual
streaming away down-wind of low-level rotors of severelyturbulent air. Rotor
streaming is not the same as the rotor zones occurring under the crests of
standing waves. It may occur when there is a deep layer of strong winds across
high ground with lighter winds above. Then the turbulence in the rotor
streaming occurs downwind of and level with the top of the high ground and for
a considerable height above.
Together with the attendant problems of icing in IMC, if the region cannot be
avoided an appreciable increasein safety height margins must be allowed for. It
is not safeto assumein any mountainous region that the conditions generatedby
one mountain range will be cancelled out when they meet the next range. This
next range may in fact produce mountain waves in phase, so worsening the
situation even further.
Fig. 10.24
134 MErEoRoLocY
give an irregular flow, while near to coastlines the anabatic winds may be
stronger becauspthe flow is supplemented by a sea-breeze.
The reversekatabatic flow may be much stronger (well over gale force), more
widespread and persistent. In the caseof katabatic winds, although the free air
temperature remains unchanged the air on the hillside is cooled by conduction
and flows downwards. Any heating adiabatically in the descending air is also
quickly conducted away. On gently sloping ground the katabatic flow at night
may not amount to much more than abreeze. On the other hand, if mountains
are snow-covered and long winter nights are interspersedwith cold days, then
katabatic winds may be very strong and persistent, night and day. The Bora,
described in Chapter 15, is an example, having speedsof 70 knots or more,
gusting to 100knots. Flight conditions if not prohibited by the actual wind speed
itself can be extremely rough, especially for light aircraft, in the take-off and
landing phases.
Test questions
Q1. A changingwind directionfrom 3l5othroughto 015ois:
(a) veering
(b) backing
(c) veeringif N hemisphere, backingif S hemisphere.
Q2. The windspeedsuddenlyincreases for a few secondsfrom 10knotsto 30
knots and then falls to 15knots.This is a:
(a) gust
(b) squall
(c) gale.
Q3. Due to the increasingeffectof surfacefriction on thewind, on a straight-
in approachto a uK aerodromewhich startsdirectlyintoJMi4dat 1500
feet,the drift duringthe descentwill: ,'i oulli.or-)1
(a) increase to port on an easterlyheading
itu^*^'r^r,fi
'-\
:jv'iaAr )=f
q''ir';;1{f"r'
"44*.*"-4d
136 MErEoRoLocy
(b) increaseto port on a westerlyheading
(c) increaseto starboardon all headings.
Q4. A significantwindshearcan be associated with:
(a) a surfaceinversionwith calm conditions
(b) south-westerly galesawayfrom low pressuresystems
(c) thunderstormsor line squalls.
Q5. A reported'windshearidentifiesfor an aircraft on the approach to
mnway 09 a wind of 090/40knots at 1000feetdecreasing to 20 knots at
800feet;if the pilot takesno correctiveaction,the aircraft will:
(a) deviate appreciablyabove the intended glide slope and land
beyondthe runway
(b) deviateappreciablybelowthe intendedglideslope
(c) encountersevereclearair turbulenceandan appreciabledeviation
to one sideof the glidepath due to a largechangein drift.
Q6. The smallrotor cloudsdown-streamof a mountainrange:
(a) are not a hazardto aviationasthey neverobscurehigh ground
(b) are lesshazardousthan the cap cloud as the vertical motion is
diminishedawayfrom the mountains
(c) shouldnot be flown through becauseoftheir severeturbulence.
Q7. If on a certainchart,straightisobarsI centimetreapartgivea geostrophic
wind of 40 knots,the sameisobarsryhen0.8 centimetresapart will give
a geostrophicwind of:
(a) 32 knots
(b) 50 knots
, (c) 40 knots.
Q8. The cyclostrophicwind equationgivesa practicalapproximationto:
(a) the 2000ft wind speedin an intensetropical storm
(b) the correctionto apply to the geostrophicwind speedaround an
anticycloneto obtain the 2000ft gradientwind
(c) the effectof the earth'srotation (Coriolis)force.
Q9. OvertheNorth Sea,the 3000ft w/v is 330/30kt andthegradientof mean
temperaturefrom 3000ft to 30000ft is 13 C deg in 300 nm with the
coldestair in the directionof 030'T. The 30000ft w/v will be:
(a) 270/130kt
(b) 300/117kt
(c) 306/l44kt.
Ql0. The diurnalvariationof the surfacewind at an inlandaerodromein level
countrysidewill be:
(a) veerand increaseduring morning,back and lull in the eveningin
the northernhemisphere, viceversain the southernhemisphere
(b) backand increaseduringthe morning,veerand lull in the evening
in the northernhemisphere, viceversain the southernhemisphere
(c) veerin thenorthernhemisphere (backin thesouthernhemisphere)
and increasein morning; back in the northern (veer in the
southern)hemisphereand lull in the evening.
1L: Air Masses
that are
Having considered the various individual meteorological elements
attention can now be given to
signifiJant to a pilot when operating his a'crafI,
prevailing in a local flying area
tulting un ou.ruil view of the weather conditions
There are two broad
o. along a particular route' This is synoptic meteorology'
This
tines oiapproach: air mass analysis and pressure type-frontal analysis.
chapter is devoted to the former.
of air,
From time to time in earlier chapters referencehas been made to a mass
together with the subsequent
for example in considering stability and instability 'air mass'
An
motion oi air displaced vertically in relation to its environment'
or parcels of
means something completely different from such small masses
rising air.
An air massis a large body of air hundreds of miles across,usually occupylng
(or
the whole troposphere in a region, in which there is horizontal uniformity
These two properties are
approximatety so; of temperature and humidity'
of
fundamental to the type oi resultant weather conditions. The uniformity
mean temperature and hence a
temperature, i.e. lack ol a horizontal gradient of
little with height and the
thermal wind component, means that the wind varies
air mass can move along with little distortion'
Source regions
or high and the QFF
within an air mass,the mean sealevel pressuremay be low
However, the regions
at an aerodrome has little significance in this connection'
are always areas of high
in which air massesoriginale, their source regions,
of its temperature
pressure.This is becausein order to establish the uniformity
andhumiditytheairhastoremainstationaryorslow.movingforaweekortwo
ocean or polar
over a fairly uniform area ofthe earth's surface, e.g. sub-tropical
ice-cap,etc.AswillbeseeninChapter15:Climatology'therearelarge
areasof the earth's
anticyclonespermanently or seasonallyiituated over certain
Depending upon the Source
,.,,f*" which provide just such Stagnantconditions.
Arctic (A) (or Antarctic)'
locations, air massesare classified by temperature as
as maritime (m) or
Polar @j, Tropical (T), Equatorial (E) and by humidity
continental (c).
hight
l6m[rerature /
sourco----!uK
straliform cioud
lefipe.alur
UK .#- source
Fig. ll.2 Air mass moving to colder area becomins stable
ArRl,rAssEs 139
Air massproperties
The air *urr ptop"tties experiencedin Britain (fig. 1l'3) are dealtwith below'
Other parts of the world are in Chapter15:Climatology'
considered
may be an isothermal layer or inversion near the surface;when they are fresh to
strong the inversion is found above the surface turbulence layer when the air
mass arrives in the south-west approaches. In winter the dull, dizily weather
with low stratus or advection fog moves inland, especiallyat night, and all high
ground is obscured. However by the time that the tropical maritime air reaches
north-east England and east Scotland it is descending on the leeside of high
ground of northern Britain and breaks in the cloud may appear. In the summer,
although at night there may be advection or hill fog and widespread stratus or
stratoqumulus cloud, inland there is usually enough solar heating to dispersethe
stratus and perhaps be followed by isolated small cumulus in the still stable
conditions. The visibility is usually no more than moderate at best and in light
winds there may be local radiation fog patchesaround dawn if the stratus has not
reformed.
Test questions
Q1. A south-westerly wind with low stratuscloud,drizzleand poor visibility
spreadinginto SW Britain indicatesthat the incomingair massis:
(a) tropical maritime
(b) polar maritime
(c) tropical maritime or returningpolar maritime'
Q2. Polar maritimeair massesare characteristically:
(a) cold, dry, unstablewith poor visibility
(b) cold, humid, increasinglyunstablewith good visibility exceptin
showers
@ ArR MASSES 143
(c) infrequent over Britain in summer but when they occur they
produce radiation fog at night.
Q3. In summer, steady easterly winds from north Germany produce on the
NE English coast:
(a) a deterioration in visibility
(b) an improvement in visibility
(c) a marked drop in the freezing level.
Q4. In winter over southern Britain, returning polar maritime air will
probably produce:
(a) overcast skies of stratus and strotocumulus
(b) clear skies and radiation fog
(c) towering cumuliform cloud and thunderstorms.
Q5. Tropical continental air over central Britain in summer will probably
produce:
(a) hot hazy weather
(b) widespread thunderstorms
(c) layers of altocumulus and cirrocumulus (mackerel sky).
Q6. Clear night skies,with convection cloud and showersover the whole UK
during the day, is typical of:
(a) tropical maritime air
(b) polar maritime air
(c) returning polar maritime air.
Q7. If in January the weather conditions on a short cross-Channelflight from
Dover are: wind 110/20 kt, visibility 3 kim; the prevailing air mass is:
(a) tropical maritime air
(b) tropical continental air
(c) polar continental air.
Q8. In an ideal air mass, with an increaseof altitude:
(a) the wind becomesprogressively more westerly
(b) the wind becomesprogressively stronger
(c) there is little variation of wind velocity.
Q9. Within an air mass:
(a) pressureis uniformly high to preserveits homogeneity of temper-
ature and humidity along its track
(b) one particular mean sea level isobar bounds the limits of that air
mass's specific temperature and humidity
(c) pressure is lower on one side ofits trajectory than on the other.
Ql0. An air mass in summer over southern England which is experiencingthe
following conditions at the surface in the evening: wind 220/15 kt; QFE
1010 mb; no cloud; visibility 5 km; temperature l5oC; dew point
temperature l3"C; will probably by dawn in the same locality be
experiencing:
(a) cumuliform cloud and thunderstorms
(b) low stratus and poor visibility
(c) unchanged conditions.
12: Low Pressure
Systems
and
Fronts
Fig. 12.l
LOW PRESSURESYSTEMSAND FRONTS 145
\\ t
i, z
I
\+-/ \,
\
\
\
\
/
V-z
/
t
,\-.
\t
\.-_
leasl sctw
Nhernlsphere
Fig. 12.2 Isobarsat a front
*-----'+- '
CONVERGENCE --
surfacs
The clouds are associatedwith the frontal zones (seefrg. 12.7), so the worst
flying weather, e.g. airframe icing, windshear, etc., may be experienced some
distance away from the surface position of the front. The height of the frontal
zone will be readily identifiable from upper air temperature and dew point
temperature readings (fig. l2.a).
The movement of the trough is at right angles to the trough line (front) with
the lower pressureon the left in the northern hemisphere(right in the southern
hemisphere).Its speedis dependentupon the isobar spacing along the front (fig.
12.5).If the winds are exactly geostrophic, the front's speedwill be that obtained
by measuring the distance apart of isobars at the front and taking the
corresponding speedfrom the geostrophic scale.
If the speedof movement obtained from the geostrophic scaleis small, say less
than 10 knots, then the rule is lessreliable and such slow-moving situations may
in fact result in the front moving away from an area of rising pressuretowards
an area of falling pressure(isallobaric movement).
The speedofcold fronts generally corresponds to the geostrophic scalevalue
but in the caseof warm fronts the actual speedof translation is usually only two
thirds of the geostrophic component measured as shown in fig. l2'5.
LOW PRESSURESYSTEMSAND FRONTS t47
Frontal depressions
The great majority of depressions which determine flying conditions in
'lows' formed on the polar front. The sequence of
temperate latitudes are
development is shown in frg. 12.6.The processwas first describedby J. Bjerknes
of the Norwegian group of meteorologists, so it is sometimescalled the Bjerknes
or Norwegian Theory of polar front depressions.
Initially a small wave of warm air intrudes into the cold air (f\9. 12.6(a), (b)
LOVI'
\,/
front'sspedat'A'
rv
F Y
Fig. 12.5 Speed of movement of frontal trough
148 METEOROLOGY
(a)
/#---
(c)deperftgwave
HIGH
(b) quasl-tatlonary polar honl
'/ft";
(el cross-soclbnX-Y
(d)warmsoclordopression
and (c)) which is called a frontal wave and is associated with a fall of pressure at
the tip of the wave. This wave tends to ripple its way along the polar front at the
velocity of the warm air stream. The wave may be stable and only have a
temporary effect, but if it is unstable the pressure fall at the tip of the wave
continues and the deepeningfrontal depression then develops a life cycle ofits
own. The advancing portion of the polar front becomesthe warm front and the
rear portion becomesthe cold front. The warm air in the wave betweenthe warm
Low PRESSURESYSTEMSAND FRoNTS I49
o
=o
E
I
Y a
o
fi o
k
6!)
l** e
O
B
U
\
6 c.l
I
E cl bb
BI-gF
s E
?
I N
I
150 MErEoRoLocY
and cold fronts is known as the warm sector of the depressionand the polar air
constitutes the cold sector. The clouds, weather, winds, etc., vary in degreefrom
one warm sector depressionto another but follow a general pattern which may
be consideredby referenceto a vertical cross-sectionthrough the system,such as
XY in fig. 12.6(d).Cold sector air XC is overtaking and lifting warm sector air
CW at the cold front and in turn, the warm sector air CW is over-running the
cold sector air WY. The whole system is moving along the polar front at the
speedof the wave which is the 2000ft w,/v in the warm sector(or possibly slightly
slower). Typical associatedconditions are shown in fig. 12.7.
For ease of illustration, the vertical scale is exaggeratedfrom that for the
horizontal dimension. The warm front slope really is of the order of I in 100 to
150 while the cold front slope is usually steeper at around I in 50. The
accompanying jet stream will be located at J I O ] (where it is travelling out of
the page) at the warm front while behind the cold front it will be located at J
[ @ 1 (wtrere it is travelling into the page).
The sequence of events for an observer ahead (to the East) of a frontal
depression starts with the appearance of cirrus clouds usually at 30000 feet or
higher. Within the cold air there will still be conditions characteristicof polar air
- usually cumuliform cloud and showers. The cirrus clouds gradually become
cirrostratus which spreadsuntil the sky is overcast and although the sun may be
visible upwards, the ice crystalsof the cirrostratus will pro ducea22o halo around
it. Similarly when flying at heights of, say, 40000 feet, coastlinesof land masses
will be visible initially when looking down through the cirriform cloud.
Gradually the clouds thicken and lower so that at some 400 to 500 miles ahead
of an active warm front the cloud layer(s) have become altostratus with small
'watery'
supercooled water droplets. To a ground observer, the sun takes on a
outline before being obscured completely. At altitude, a pilot willfind that once
the cloud base is down to 20000 feet or lower, slight snow or perhaps rain will
start to fall but soon evaporates,so never reaching the ground. The tropopause
has now risen in the warm sector air and the core of the jet stream will be between
the frontal surface and the warm sector tropopause, with the maximum
probability of clear air turbulence between the jet core and the warm frontal
surface. Even if the upper winds do not reach the speedof a jet stream, they are
still strongest in this area and a ground observer may see low clouds moving
steadily north-eastwards while the medium and high clouds are moving rapidly
south-eastwards(fig. 12.8).
The 8/8 altostratus continues to thicken and lower with the precipitation from
it steadily intensifying. Eventually some 150-200 miles ahead of the surface
warm front when the cloud base is down to 6000 to 7000 feet, the precipitation
reaches the surface. The altostratus now becomes nimbostratus and the
precipitation continues for severalhours until the warm front passes.In summer,
the precipitation is as slight then moderate rain but in colder conditions it will be
of snow, sleetor, worst of all, freezing rain. The degreeof activity of fronts is very
variable so while on some occasionsthe altostratus,/numbostratus cloud system
may extend from near to the surface(and obscuring high ground) to heights well
in excessof 20000 feet. at other times the altostratus may be layered with some
SYSTEMSAND FRONTS
Low PRESSURE I51
N hemisphere
clear lanes. Beneath the lowering warm front cloud, the cumuliform cloud
activity of the cold sector gradually diminishes. However, further cloud may be
found in the cold air in rain beneath the nimbostratus caused by evaporation
from the falling raindrops. In extreme cases,the evaporation can give a belt of
frontal fog. The transition at the surfaceinto the warm sector will also be marked
by the wind veering (northern hemisphere),the barometric tendency'slarge falls
of pressureceasingand the dew point and air temperatures rising. There may in
fact already have been some gradual rise in temperature ahe4d of the front. At
upper levels,say, 30 000 feet above the surfaceposition of the front, the wind will
have gradually backed (northern hemisphere) and decreased in speed. In
practice, while most warm fronts will show the foregoing features of primarily
stratiform cloud structures, there are a few exceptional caseswhere the warm air
rising up the frontal surface becomes unstable and as a result produces warm
front thunderstorms.
The warm sector will be warm and humid. The typical tropical maritime air
masscharacteristicsof stratus, stratocumulus, drizzle or slight rain with hill fog
and possibly advection fog will prevail at night and in winter. The flying
conditions above the lowest levels will be stable and smooth and mostly
cloudfree. On summer days, there may be little cloud (except on south-west
coasts)with poor visibility generally.
Depending upon how near the centre of the despressionis to the observer, so
the interval before the cold front is experiencedwill vary. As already mentioned,
the slope ofthe cold frontal surfaceis steeperthan that ofthe warm front and the
cloud and weather are not just a simple reversal of that of a warm front. The
conditions vary considerably from one cold front to another. Becausesurface
'nose' of
friction retards the lowest part of the frontal surface, there is often a
'nose' is
warm air at 1500-2000 feet over-running the surface air. This
continuously being destroyed and re-developingwith attendant s
gusts.
-,'rr.ror =
]( )
W;-#
152 MErEoRoLocY
(a) (b)
\ , \ "
Fig. 12.9 Occluding of a frontal depression
LOW PRESSURESYSTEMSAND FRONTS 153
Cold occlasion
This occurs when the overtaking cold air mass (A) (ltg. 12.10)is colder than the
retreating cold air mass (C) so that not only is the warm sector (B) lifted off the
surface but the warm front and air mass (C) is too. The associatedcloud and
weather are found on both sidesof the occlusion and in the later stagesof its life
the cold occlusion tends more and more to resemble a cold front. Becauseit
marks the forward surface limit of the overtaking cold air, the trough line for a
cold occlusion runs smoothly on from the cold frontal trough.
(b)new! formedocclusion
(a)
Fig. 12.10
Warm occlusion
This occurs when the overtaking cold air (A) (frg. 12.11)is relatively warmer than
the retreating cold air (C), which is most likely in winter in NW Europe. At this
t54 METEOROLOGY
embedded CU/CB
" -l
i'
t ' i ,
: ,;N,S
(d)
season, the cold air in the east is mainly cold continental polar air while the
overtaking air is the lesscold maritime polar air. The warm sector air (B) slides
up the warm frontal surface followed by the cold front itself.
Superficially, with the rain and main cloud structure ahead of the surface
position of the warm occlusion, its weather resemblesthat of a warm front. In
fact in its later stagesthis approximation is valid. However, during the first 24 to
36 hours of the occluding process, there may be active large cumulus and
'embedded'
cumulonimbus left still on the residual cold frontal surfacewhich are
in the layer cloud. Although readily detectableon an aircraft's weather radar, for
an unsuspectingpilot believing that his IMC is due to layer clouds only, sudden
entry into severeturbulence, heavy icing, thunderstorms and hail may come as
an unpleasant and unwelcome surprise.
Back-bent occlusions
Several common alternative isobar patterns occur when a warm sector
depressionoccludes.The occluded low can remain at what was the original tip
of the warm sector with all of the occlusion lying on its warmer side (fig. 12.12
(a)). When this happens the low usually slows down, becomesa massof rotating
polar air and the occlusion weakensand finally losesits identity as a significant
feature.
Alternatively the occluded low can remain at what at any time is currently the
tip of the warm sector (fig. 12.12 (b), (c), (d)). In this case the subsequent
LOW PRESSURESYSTEMSAND FRONTS 155
(d)
movement of the occlusion is determined by the winds in the cold air on the polar
side of the low. With the continued movement of the occluded low, the occlusion
becomes'back-bent'following the cold front from the north-west or west. Often
the area between the cold front and the occlusion is similar to a second warm
sector and a good approximation of the direction of motion of the low at this
time is gained from an averageof its two warm sectors.
At other times, the isobars may assume a pattern intermediate between the
two just described, as shown in frg. 12.12 (e). This still produces a back-bent
occlusion.
Families of depressions
Often as one depressionoccludesso another will form, perhaps as a variation of
the systemillustrated infig.12.12 (a). In such a case(fig. 12.13),the new low will
be secondary to the original (primary) low and starts to circulate about it. If as
often happensthe new secondarydeepensquickly and the occludedprimary fills,
'old' centre moving
then the secondaryassumesthe greater importance with the
about it. If the two lows have the sameintensity they pirouette about each other.
The isobars around a secondaryare often closesttogether on the side away from
156 METEOROLOGY
four or five depressionsform one after another along the polar front, each at a
successivelylower latitude. The sequenceends with an anticyclone building up
in the polar air. Cold air moving behind the last of the series of depressions
spreads so far southwards that it flows on into the trade wind system. At the
same time, a new family of depressionsstarts to form on the new polar front
becoming establishedto the north-west of the anticyclone and the whole process
repeats(frg.l2.A).
Frontal activity
The process of development of fronts is known as frontogenesis, and their
process of decay as frontolysis. The actual degree of activity of a front at a
particular time will, from a pilot's point of view, depend upon where he meetsthe
front in the courseof his flight. For example, if it is met in a mountainous region,
orographic uplift will supplement the frontal uplift so worsening icing,
turbulence, etc., as already described. The activity does also depend upon
whether the depressionis deepeningrapidly and, in the caseof a cold front, upon
the degreeof (in)stability of the warm sector air.
The convergenceof low level air in a depressionis most concentrated at the V-
troughed isobars at a front. If a depression has not been deepening for some
time, the winds will tend to approximate to geostrophic and convergencewill be
negligible. In fig. 12.15 the front F,F, will be weak with little or no rainfall
LOW
Fr
I
I
I
I
I
F2
I
ofgeostrophicwindsat a front
Fig. 12.15 Non-convergence
because the winds are geostrophic and when this occurs the component 'a'
perpendicular to the front in its rear is no greater than the perpendicular
component 'b' ahead of it, so there is no overtaking motion.
However, with a deepeningdepressionthe winds are not geostrophic because
of the constantly increasing pressuregradient. The amount of unbalance in the
actual wind is known as the isallobaric component (fig. 12.16).Applied to the
frontal situation, the isallobaric component of actual ageostrophic wind will be
158 METEOROLOGY
LOW(deepening)
pfessure F
gradient
lsallobaric
force
component
geoslrophic component
geostrophic
force
directed to the front F,F, at the trough line $tg.12.17). Although the geostrophic
component will produce no convergencethe isallobaric component will do so,
with which there will be the attendant ascentof air, adiabatic cooling, cloud and
precipitation associatedwith active fronts.
\X I
I
I
t
()
-r--+
Test questions
Q 1. If for a westbound flight at a position 500 miles east of a warm front the
following winds are forecast:
30000 ft 315/135kt
2000 ft 235/ 35kt
it is probable that the warm front will be:
(a) quite weak
(b) quite active
(c) quite probably occluded by the cold front.
Q2. At an aerodrome in the UK, when an active warm front passes:
(a) the surface wind veers
(b) the surface wind backs
(c) the surface wind direction may veer or back.
Q3. The three best elementsto use to locate a cold front on an unanalysed
synoptic chart are:
(a) MSL pressure,air temperature, surface wind velocity
(b) air temperature, dew point temperature, visibility
(c) barometric tendency, surface wind direction, dew point
temperature.
Q4. The symbol on a chart denotes:
(a) warm front
(b) cold front
(c) an occlusion.
Q5. At midnight, the geostrophic winds measured at A. B and C in the
diagram are respec-
tively 40, 20, and 30
knots. For position
D, 120nauticalmiles
aheadofthe front, the
ETA of the front will
be:
(a) 0300hrs
(b) 0400hrs
(c) 0600hrs.
160 MErEoRoLocY
Orographic depressions
Sometimescalled'|eedepressions',theselows form to the lee,i.e. downwind, of
a substantial barrier of high ground in a steadyairflow (fig. 13.l). Where the high
ground comes near to the coast, e.g. Scandinavia or parts of the Alps, the
resultant low may be situated over the sea. Sometimes the effect may not be
sufficient to produce an individual depression with its own isobar system, in
which casethere will be a leesidetrough.
LOW
Thermal depressions
Thermal depressionsvary considerably in sizeand their accompanying weather.
Becausesuch depressionscan occur with either heating at the surfaceproducing
a reduction in surface pressureor by the generation of an unstable lapse, some
authorities categorise 'instability depressions' as a separate group. For the
purposesof this chapter, they will be treated as a variant of the thermal low type.
(e) Tornadoes
In contrast to tropical revolving storms, tornadoes are very intense localised
depressionscharacteristic of the climate of certain localities and seasons.
Test questions
Ql. A thermaldepression:
(a) only occurs over land
(b) only occurs over land during daylight hours
(c) may occur over land or sea.
Q2. Orographic depressionsoccur:
(a) only in valleys
(b) to the windward of high ground
(c) downwind of high ground.
Q3. The weather in non-frontal lee depressionsis:
(a) fine due to fdhn effect
r64 METEOROLOGY
it was stated
In an earlier ref-erenceto the general circulation of the troposphere
levels and ascending
that areasof low pressureexperiencedconvergenceat low
ofair at upper levels,
air while regions offtigtt pr.rirt. experiencedconvergence
subsidingairanddivergenceatlowlevels(seefig.12.3).Theeffectsofsubsidence
are now
in anticfclones and ridges of high pressure upon flying conditions
consideredin more detail.
may be very
In an anticyclone the area over which subsidenceis occurring
for the whole width
substantial, for example in mid-summer a high may extend
in an anticyclone is
of the North Atlantic ocean at 40"N. The rate of subsidence
in towering
relatively slow when compared with the rate of ascentof convection
feet in a day'
cumuliform clouds, and may amount to no more than 2000
spanning a large
Nevertheless,despite this slow downward rate of movement
two major character-
region the subsiding air warms adiabatically, establishing
distribution
istics of high pressure systems,namely humidity and temperature
vertically.
rn lts
As the subsiding air warms, any cloud that it contains or encounters
cloudlessskies
descentwill be evaporated, so producing cloudlessskies.In these
lapse rate
all subsequentsubiidence brings about warming at the dry adiabatic
to the lowest
and reducing the relative humiaity. This process continues down
of water
few thousarid feet of the troposphere, where the upward transport
vapourfromthesurface-uyu.sufficienttooffsetthedryingeffectofthe
subsidencein the lower atmosphere'
a
The warming effect of the subsiding air gradually but steadily establishes
by a
stable environmental lapse rate and an anticyclone is usually characterised
lapse
substantialinversion.In frg. 14.1,ABC representsan initial environmental
rate approximating to ISA temperature conditions'
(ct) and the air in
If the air originally at 20000 feet (c) subsidesto 6000 feet
the_respective
the middle of the layer subsidesto 3000feet (B,) before diverging'
temperaturesproducedbywarmingattheDALRwillbe+l7.cand*16oC.
are therefore
Tie flying conditions .*perie.t"ed in any particular anticyclone
determined bY:
(a)therelativelylowhumiditiesofmediumandhighlevels.Thehumidity
should be
near the surface depends upon the site of the high' It
remembered that they are the sourcesof air masses'
(b) the stable laPserate.
of the high with light to moderate
i.j tn. [ght winds or calm near the centre
divergent winds nearer its edges'
senseor
Although the terms tropical or polar high are used in a climatological
moving to
when refeiring to the ,orrrr. region of an air mass, an anticyclone
warm or cold
cover the gritish Isles is *o.. liktly to be described as a
166 METEoRoLoGY
warming at DALR
3 C de9/1000 ft
Cold anticyclones
The polar regions, especially Antarctica, are regions of permanent cold
anticyclones although the north polar high does collapse at times when invaded
by fronts from temperature latitudes. In the winter months there is a'seasonally-
permanent'anticyclone over Siberia and a lessintensetendency to high pressure
over North America.
Becauseof the density of the very cold air at low levels,the rate of decreaseof
pressurewith increaseof height is much greater than standard and by 10000 ft
(700 mb) often the pressure at that level is no longer higher than that of
surrounding areas,i.e. there is no high on the 700 mb chart.
Such cold anticyclonic regions have very low surface temperatures and the
subsidenceinversion is very pronounced. On its outer edges,especiallyif nearby
depressionsare bringing moist air into its circulation, the anticyclone will still
have no medium or upper cloud but there are often widespread sheetsof stratus
or stratocumulus cloud. If the winds are lighter, dull foggy weather prevails.
Above the fog or low cloud, fine smooth flying conditions occur. In central areas
of continental cold anticyclones brilliant frosty weather is the rule.
Sometimesin mid-winter, the Siberian high becomesso intense and extensive
that the British Isles are encompassedin its circulation and UK aerodromes in
AND coLS
ANTTcYcLoNES 167
Warm anticyclones
Permanent warm anticyclones are found over the oceansat latitudes around 25o
to 40o.In such regions they are subject to little diurnal variation in temperature,
experiencevirtuaily no surface cooling and are very stable and persistent.Flying
.onditio.t, could not be better as they are usually warm and cloudless with
excellent visibility and surface winds at island aerodromes determined by land
and sea breezes.
In temperate latitudes such as the British Isles,a temporary warm anticyclone
may either have evolved from a cold anticyclone as already described or be an
extension of a sub-tropical anticyclone. The evolution from a cold anticyclone is
a frequent occurrence and in the summer leads to a period of fine weather'
Sometimesthere is fair weather cumulus and at coastal aerodromes,especiallyat
night, there may be stratocumulus in the tropical maritime air. In autumn there
is iadiation fog inland in suitable conditions of wind speed. Where a warm
anticyclone devilops from an extensionof the sub-tropical high (and this will not
o..rri in the UK in winter becausethat high will then have moved towards the
Equator), the air masswithin it will be tropical maritime air. Above the inversion
flying conditions are fine and smooth. Below it there will be a high probability
oir.u fog, especiallyon its western flanks and in spring and summer, while over
land in late summer and in autumn radiation fog is very likely'
R
I
D
G
E
frontal depressions.In the former case,the ridge will tend to reflect the weather
characteristicsof its parent anticyclone and the air massof which it is the source.
In the latter case(fig. 14.2)the subsidencein the polar air givesfine clear weather.
unfortunately the ridge's movement is determined by the motion of the two
depressionseachside of it, so it is unlikely to persistfor more than 24 to 36 hours.
Col
A col is not bounded by any one isobar but is in fact the region of almost uniform
pressurebetween two highs (or areas of higher pressure)and two lows (or areas
of lower pressure) (fig. la.3). As such, winds are light and variable, tending to
flow in on two sides (AB, CD) and flow outwards on the other two sides (BC,
DA) (northern hemisphere).
Test questions
Ql. In an anticyclone that is intensifying, there is:
(a) divergenceat low levels, convergenceat upper levels
(b) divergenceat all levels
(c) convergenceat low levels, divergenceat upper levels'
Q2. From the centre of an anticyclone outwards, the surface winds:
(a) gradually decreasein sPeed
(b) gradually increasein sPeed
(c) show no significant change in wind speed.
Q3. At an aerodrome in the British Isles experiencing a cold anticyclone, an
easterly wind at 2000 ft will:
(a) increasein strength with height throughout the troposphere
(b) remain constant with height throughout the troposphere
(c) decrease with height and become westerly in the upper
troPosPhere.
Q4. A temporary cold anticyclone over the UK in summer will:
(a) gradually become a warm anticyclone
(b) gradually become a permanent anticyclone
(c) graduallY develoP into a col.
Q5. Around an anticyclone winds at low level circulate:
(a) anticlockwise in the northern hemisphere
(b) anticlockwise in the southern hemisphere
(c) clockwise in the southern hemisphere.
Q6. In a warm anticyclonein summer at UK coastalaerodromes:
(a) land and sea breezesare a frequent occurrence
(b) land and sea breezesare an infrequent occurrence
(c) sea breezesbring in thunderstorms from the warm sea'
170 MErEoRoLocy
EOUATORIALLOW
'ideal world'
Fig. l5.l Climatic zonesof an
172 MErEoRoLocY
180oremoved from the hottest point where the sun was overhead) so geostrophic
force cannot be ignored. The resulting circulation of the troposphere would be
'ideal' earth.
as shown in fig. I 5. 1, together with the surfacepressurezonesof an
In addition to the dense cold air producing a polar high and the hottest air
producing a thermal low or trough at the Equator, the idealised circulation
includes two other major zones - low pressure at temperate latitudes and sub-
tropical high pressures.This is becausethe earth's rotation prevents a simple
circulation of air rising over the Equator and in a single cell, travelling at altitude
to polar regions to subsideand passback to the Equator at low levelsto redress
the balanceofa net gain ofheat energyat low latitudesand a net loss ofheat at
high latitudes.
Air in the upper troposphere over the Equator will have the highestupper level
pressureat that level of anywhere on an ideal earth. It will move polewards and
gradually, by subtropical latitudes, geostrophic force will have become
sufficiently great for the upper winds to have become predominantly westerly
while the surfacepressurein theselatitudes then risesand subsidenceoccurs. At
the surface, divergenceat the sub-tropical anticyclones supplies the trade winds
on their Equatorial side and tropical air on the poleward side moving towards
the polar front. At the polar high, the subsiding air divergesto supply the polar
air to the poleward side of the polar front. The ascent of warm air at frontal
depressionsof temperate latitudes (and of cold air when they are occluded) then
supplies upper air to above the sub-tropical and polar highs in this'idealised'
situation.
In reality, these basic zones can be recognised on maps of average mean Sea
-
level pressure and sulface winds, and the names already stated Equatorial
trough, sub-tropical high, etc. - are actually used in practice. To approximate
'ideal
more closely to reality, refinements of two of the basic assumptions of an
world'can be made by making allowancesfor (a) seasonalchanges,and (b) land
and seadistribution.
Seasonalchanges:climatic zones
Throughout the year, the sun's midday overhead position varies from the tropic
of Cancer in the northern summer to the tropic of Capricorn in the summer of
the southern hemisphere. The effect of heating by the sun is, however,
cumulative so in the northern hemisphereit is hottest not in June but some 6 to
8 weeks later in late July and early August. Similarly the southern hemisphereis
hottest and the northern hemisphere coldest at the end of January and in early
February.
With the change of seasons,so the Equatorial trough moves too, to reach its
most northerly position by late July. At this time, the Arctic regions are enjoying
permanent daylight and the north polar high is at its weakest, while in the
iouthern hemisphere, Antarctica is permanently dark and its high intensifies.
The relative positions for January and July of the four main pressurebelts are
shown in fig. 15.2. Some parts of the ideal earth will remain within the same
pressure zone throughout the year in spite of the seasonal changes. At other
places, the change of seasonshows a change of pressuretype'
CLIMATOLOGY 173
nodtlem wintet norlllemsummer
JailJary July
roulftm $nnr? sorrthmwlnler
The area is within the cold anticyclone throughout the year experiencing the
conditions considered in detail in Chapter 14 in relation to permanent cold
anticyclones.In practice,the high is erodedfrom time to time so that then there
is widespread cloud and snow from frontal weather being brought nearer than
usual to the poles by travelling depressions.
Land-sea distribution
The distribution of continents and oceansis not conveniently aligned with either
latitude or longitude and so imposes a further modification of the climatic zones
just enumerated. In fact it is often convenient to categorise an aerodrome's
climate as maritime or continental,
There is appreciably more land in the northern hemisphere than in the
southern hemisphere and fig. 15.3 representsan idealised distribution of land
masses- schematically it could apply to North and South America, to Europe
and Africa or to Asia and Australia - while figs 15.4and 15.5representaverage
observed conditions for January and July.
In the northern summer, the isotherms of mean temperature in low latitudes
of the northern hemispherewill not lie parallel to the Equator and the tropic. The
land will produce much higher temperatures than the tropical ocean (at 30oN
often averaging over 30"C compared with an oceanic25oCaverage)so distorting
the Equatorial trough to lie outside the tropic, and at the same time, weakening
the sub-tropical high over the continent.
In the northern winter, the continent near and even south of the Arctic circle
will lose far more heat than it gains in the reduced daylight and this distorts the
polar high and confines frontal depressionsmainly to the ocean. In the average
northern winter, the Siberian High is often actually centred between 40oN and
50'N.
In the southern hemisphere,the great predominance of uniform ocean surface
means that conditions approximate more closely to those of fig. 15.2 with
relatively little distortion of the basic pressurezones. At places in low latitudes,
in the northern hemisphereparticularly, the result of the land-sea distribution's
distortion of the pressure zones and hence of the airstreams is that seasonal
climatic changes can be related to the prevailing continental or maritime
airstreams.Theseare the lands of the monsoon (a name derived from the Arabic
word for season).
Monsoons of south-eastAsia
Figure 15.6depicts a typical airflow on a January day and on a July day in south-
east Asia. In July, the SE trade winds cross the Equator and with the change of
direction of geostrophicforce with changeof hemisphere,they become south-
westerly. These then sweep in across the Indian Ocean to bring the humid
Equatorial air to the Indian sub-continent,Burma and Malaysia. In practice
there are troughs in the airstreams circulating around the Baluchistan Low so
that occasional breaks occur in the south-west monsoon which are followed by
the renewed onset of further convectively unstable air, with towering cumuli-
l?8 \rErEoRoloc\ |
,re""ry(
Y'[h!i^
('\k| (e) Jttly O) Janrary
;: "ff#.H::;t#.Xitions
crouds,,o.,.nl'i,
rorm turburent,
are I
ffi;fll
tr'l"J:ffi
*tl;::m,iln''J#l':3,"i'Jl,ll,ill#'Tff at the endot the
variesliitle in datefrom oneyearto another.Equally,theretreat I
tT"Tn"JilL?:*"-',1f:,1i1ff:,ilff*ilLTl'i,o.nunHighan
g:m:n*m*ffi :T::l;ff
ll[H:r":i:f 5il]-*'1li:1!lJ
I to airportssuchasOe]niani Cllt^l',T:
^Fu,th",thedirectflow of air from Siberia
prevent
reachtng I
east,air from central China has a similar path, ultimate\ l
MalaysiaandIndonesia, asdepictedin fig' 15'6(b)' Although* *llttt,lili I
theNgmonsoonisfineanddry,thecontinentalairbecomesmaritimebyth
;'*i*ft ::L-';tl"f$ll,ltll?i'l;,,1'*:Hil?':t
a smaller scaleto parts ol
u *oo*oon climate, the land-seaeffect also applies on I
Africa
Ul**:*:T:'ij,'j:f.il::1i:1;::$["rT:*"l
relativelyshortpartsofitslength,thetwotrade.windsfeeding'..?ln:-l'l
havedissimilarcharacteristics(f,rg.15'10below)whenthenameinler-lro
of its length the term
front (ITF) may be a relevantdescription,but for most I
ITCZ is Preferred'
the trade-wilit-T
Except where continental airstreamsare involved' I
J:lilfi:::',ffiI
:Ti'31::T'?"T;'*'"'Hff
:"#:'JlTiji;:i,j;tT*1ffi
?.:*!
;:lrl,::xT,::'J:i'.""1;'#1:i::*Jl';' northernher
i"nfl.t.n"., p.evail,theyblow from thenorth-eastin the
=
CLIMATOLOGY 179
occasional
lowering
cumulus
an0snowers
toosusuallv
at inversion
at7000to 8000ft
A--5'ttg'''.A
base3000to 4000ft
Doldrums: weaklTCZ
Ifthe pressuregradient on the Equatorial side ofthe sub-tropical anticyclones is
slack (fig. 15.8) and the trade winds become progressively lighter along their
(*J @
g4--
I
tfcz
f-"-\
Fig. 15.8 Slack airflow and convergencein Doldrums
N (-*_ r"t) ,/
NE tradewinds
-r't'
SEtradewinds
ei- *
,t2'x
e3
tradewindcumulus
t*.
30-300
miles
norMiI
/1a
tradewindcumulus
:ffi |i,*i?f;trcav'rai
zone
Fig. 15.9 Active inter-tropicalconvergence
Tc
marilimeair
l') * \
<r*- -C*a
continentalair humidatlowlevel, rtoweringCU and CB, heavy rain,t)
lradewindwealher
hot and dry, hot andturbulent i squalls and thunderstorms I
dust haze and at height, limited Cu - r I
tu|b{Jlence formdwdopmen( | I
I I
I I
on the flight forecast documents, although the surface wind will change, flight
conditions at medium and high cruising levels will remain cloudless andhazy.
However, as flight progressessouth of the ITF and as the vertical extent of the
deflectedtrade winds increasesso convection builds up cumuliform cloud. After
some 100 to 200 nm and depending upon the distance of the route inland from
the coast,the cloud becomestowering cumulus in the afternoon and evening and
flying is bumpy. Further flight southwards gives a sufficient vertical extent of
moist air for widespreadbuilding-up of large cumulus and cumulonimbus which
break through the frontal surfaceand there is a belt ofheavy rain, thunderstorms
and hail. Further south still ofthe inter-tropical front, conditions then revert to
the usual trade wind conditions of fair weather cumulus or stratocumulus. In
summary, the effect of the continental air at the ITF is to offset the weather
conditions normally found roughly symmetrically about the Equatorial trough,
to some distance to the maritime side of the ITF. Although West Africa has the
ITF throughout the year some other regions of the world, both northern and
southern hemisphere,only have an inter-tropical front situation for one part of
the year e.g. N. Australia in January. (Many of the forecast charts issued at
European (including UK) airports are compiled by METEO FRANCE and as
such will carry the French abbreviation for the inter-tropical front of FIT.)
lropopause
J
*@
@ massed rain,
TCU/CB,torrential
violentwindsandlhunderstorms
Initially the tropical revolving storm will become appalent in the Equatorial
trough in a particular area when freshening winds start to become circulatory,
the normal semi-diurnal variation of pressuregives way to a continuous fall of
pressureand there is an increasein thundery activity with massesof cumulonim-
bus cloud. There are no fronts associatedwith the storm and when first identified
on a chart it will have quite circular isobars and probably a diameter of 50 to 100
nm. In the Equatorial trough the upper winds are light easterliesand the storm
initially moves westwards and perhaps polewards (see fig. 15.12), gradually
deepeningand increasingin diameter so that ultimately it may be 500 nm across-
The isobars remain concentric circles, close together, so the winds soon reach
hurricane force. Despite the high wind speedsin its circulation the storm itself
moves only slowly, often around 12 knots and probably no faster than 15 knoS.
The storm has a life of severaldays and its track gradually turns polewards and
it eventually re-curyestowards the east.If it encountersland it will causea lot of
structural damage, especially on the coasts. If the land comprises only islands,
the storm goes on its destructive way with its vigour relatively undiminished-
However, if it moves into a substantial land mass, e.g. the north shores of the
Gulf of Mexico. the hurricane winds are slowed by friction and the supply of
water vapour appreciably reduced, so the tropical revolving stofm soon
degenerates.Also if in its re-curvature the storm's path brings it towards a cell of
the sub-tropical high pressure,the storm slows down and fills. On occasions,the
storm's track takes it around the sub-tropical anticyclone so it moves into
temperate latitudes when it joins on to the sequenceof polar front depressions-
Apart from the high wind speed which prohibits operations out of affected
aerodromes, tropical revolving storms produce othsr hazards so that en-route
aircraft should give them a wide berth. If anything, the flying conditions are
worst on the leading inside sector of the storm where particularly fresh supplies
of very humid unstable air are drawn into the storm's circulation' Mariners who
do not have the advantage of the speed and manoeuvrability enjoyed by tk
cLrMAroLocY 185
aviator call this sector the'dangerous quadrant'. Apart from the substantial
damage causedby the violent winds, much of the damage at coastsis causedby
the ocean swell. The strength of the wind moves the surfacewater so that a large
swell builds up. Even large vesselsin port have received substantial damage so
owners or operators of flying boats, seaplanesand amphibians must arrange for
their aircraft's removal to shelteredsituations.
Flying conditions
'eye
Except for a very small area, a few miles in diameter, at its centre called the
of the storm', where winds fall calm and cloud clears temporarily, tropical
revolving storms are areas ofdense cloud extending from below 1000feet to at
least 30000 feet usually and with a possibility of reaching the tropopause at
50000 to 55000 feet. In torrential rain, the cloud baseis almost on the surface.
The cloud comprises massesof towering cumulus and cumulonimbus which
have densecirrus on the outer edgesof the storm. Visually, a pilot at altitude can
recognise the edge of a tropical storm by the bands of dense cirrus and if
operating at low level, by the marked ocean swell. In both caseshis navigation
will have identified an increasein drift and the thunderstorms will be shown on
the weather radar. Satellite pictures and weather radar in fact show the
convective clouds to be massed in bands spiralling inwards to become a solid
'eye') in the main central storm area. All of the
mass of cloud (except for the
hazards of thunderstorm flying apply and they go on for hundreds of miles.
Turbulence is severe,lightning frequent, precipitation in the form ofrain and hail
is torrential, visibility is very poor, the freezing level is usually around 16000 to
l8 000 feet and instrument flying is very difficult especiallyas the performance of
navigational aids and the flight instruments themselvesmay be impaired.
Tornado
This is not one of the names given to a tropical revolving storm for a particular
area but an entirely different meteorological phenomenon. At one time in West
Africa the name was used for the squalls associated with the passageof line
squalls moving from east to west at the beginning and end of the wet season(p.
212),but on flight forecaststheseare identified as troughs or line squalls. Where
'tornado' is used in a meteorological warning, usually in the United
the term
Statesof America and only rarely in north-west Europe, it is referring to a violent
whirlwind associatedwith a cumulonimbus cloud (fig. 15.13).
If the basic conditions for thunderstorms are present - high humidity,
instability, and trigger action - in the extreme, convection inland on summer
afternoons is so great that an intenselocal depressionforms under an individual
cumulonimbus, Sometimes more than one may occur if there are severalstrong
convectivecells.The intensedepressionis far too small to be shown on a synoptic
chart, typical diameters being only 50 to 250 metres. The air ascending in the
cumulonimbus cannot be replaced from below as fast as the great instability and
the winds at altitude are removing it so surfacepressurefalls, often to below 1000
millibars. The resulting pressure gradient is of tens of millibars in only a very
short distance. Air converging under the cumulonimbus spirals inwards and
186 METEOROLOGY
\i
J
cumulonimbus
funnelc'loud
speedsof 100to 200 knots are experienced(c.f. cyclostrophic wind, Chapter l0).
The decreaseofpressure beneath the main cloud base also causesadiabatic
'funnel' cloud hanging from the
cooling and condensation which produces the
cloud base and which often has a writhing motion in the violent winds. The
thunderstorm and associatedtornadoes move along with the general airstream,
often at 15-20 knots, causing great havoc along their narrow path' Sometimes
the track finishes in less than one mile; at other times it may exceed 100 nm'
Unfortunately too, there may be severaltornadoes crossing a particular area at
the same time.
In open country, tornadoes uproot trees, devastatecrops and haystacks and
demolish buildings. When they strike developedareassuch as aerodromes,apatt
from the high wind damage the enormous pressure gradients literally cause
buildings to explode, removing roofs, demolishing walls, etc. There have been
casesof picketed-down aircraft being lifted on to airport buildings! In addition,
the thunderstorms themselvesare particularly active and often accompanied by
large and heavy hail.
When tornadoes occur in Britain, which is only rarely, the conditions are not
so severeas in the United Statesbut neverthelessconsiderabledamage is done to
property and aircraft must avoid the tornado area.
Waterspoutsare similar in origin to tornadoes but becauseof the lower surface
temperature of the seaover which they form they are not so intensenor normally
so large. The funnel cloud comprises most of the waterspout but its lowest
section is composed of sea spray whipped up in the vortex of the storm. More
than one waterspout can occur under a particular cumulonimbus but they do not
last more than 30 minutes at the most. Again flight conditions are very turbulent
and structural damage can occur if they are inadvertently mistaken for a heavy
shower when on the approach under cumulonimbus to an island or coastal
aerodrome. The higher the latitude, the less likely are waterspouts to be
encountered.
Effect of oceancurrents
Oceanographyis a major subject for study on its own and it is only intended here
cLrMAroLocY 187
offshore
surlace
wind
Local winds
In Chapter 10 referencewas made to the ways in which local topography could
modify or even generate winds in certain terrain and to the fact that the term
.fohn effect' is used to describe a particular meteorological phenomenon
anywhere in the world rather than just in one alpine valley. There are other'local
winds' of which pilots should be aware as they spread their effects over a fairf
wide area and their name used in a report or forecast context tends to imply not
only the wind itself but also its associatedweather. The selectioncovered below
is based on the author's experience of such practice and is by no means
exhaustive.
Mistral
This is a strong cold N or NW wind which blows down the Rh6ne valley into the
Gulf of Lions in the NW Mediterranean mainly in the winter and early spring
Gale force is common and at times the Mistral reaches70 to 80 knots. Frequentl-v
CLIMATOLOGY 189
However, as it flows out over the sea it rapidly picks up moisture. An aircraft
northbound from Africa meeting Mistral conditions in the NW Mediterranean
will first meet the cold front with active cumuliform cloud and then in the
following Mistral, further turbulent conditions with more large cumulus and
cumulonimbus, icing and thunderstorms often themselves in troughs, before
nearing the European coastline when the airstream reverts to clearer continental
air but still turbulent conditions.
Bora
This is a similar wind to the Mistral, which occurs over the Adriatic and its
easternshores particularly. Again it is a very strong wind and with gusts which
have exceeded100 knots, strong enough to prohibit operations at Balkan and
nearby airfields. Over the Balkans it is often very dry and cloudless but
neverthelessvery squally and turbulent. It mainly occurs in the winter months
and is basically due to the katabatic flow off the cold, high Balkan Plateau which
extends almost to the Adriatic shores.The katabatic effect is accentuatedwhen
the continental high is well establishedgiving a pressuregradient as shown in fig.
15.17 and locally the deeply indented coastline also produces ravine effects.
Where the airstream out over the Adriatic and Eastern Italy is humid (usually
in associationwith a depressionover the Adriatic Sea)the Bora has densecloud,
thunderstorms, icing and heavy snow or rain, in addition to its basic turbulence
and strong squally surface winds (fig. 15.18).
t
: * _ r
Fig. 15.18 Bora blowing from the eastern shores of the Adriatic
Sirocco
The spelling of the English name of this wind tends to vary with the translator
but it applies to a hot wind blowing northwards from Africa in the winter
months, usually in advance of a frontal depression moving from west to east
through the Mediterranean. Over the land and near to the coast, the Sirocco is
dry and dustladen. In fact, the airstreamson both sidesof the warm front trough
over N Africa may be drawn from a dry and dusty source. When it progresses
northwards over the Mediterranean to, say, Malta, Sicily or ltaly, the airstream
picks up moisture and the cooling of the surface layers also produces a stable
lapse rate. The moistening, cooling and stabilising continues with the passage
northwards and eventually leads to widespread low stratus and drizzle or
advection fog.
CLIMATOLOGY l9t
Fie.15.19 Sirocco
Khamsin
Similar to the Sirocco in its nature, the Khamsin (which is Arabic for 50)
according to folklore blows for 50 days and nights. In fact it is a mainly southerly
wind of late winter and spring in Egypt and the easternMediterranean, generally
occurring ahead of eastward moving depressions. It is hot and dry bringing
much dust from the desertand in April and May it may well blow for many days
Levanter
Circuits and landings are always interesting at Gibraltar to passengersand crew,
especiallyso when fresh winds are blowing causingstanding wavesand turbulent
eddies to the lee of the Rock. Across the runway, which is north of the Rock,
these are worst in winds from between SE and SW. The Levanter itself, named
after the direction from which it comes,is a humid eastwind over Gibraltar, the
Straits and S. Spain. Although it may occur at any seasonit is most likely from
June to October. Usually associated with stable air, under an inversion it
produces standing waves,dangerouseddiesand often banner and rotor cloud to
the lee of the Rock. When the wind increasesto strong to galeforce, although the
turbulence remains the cloud often lifts and thins or disperses(fig. 15'21)'
Gregale
This is a strong wind of mainly the winter half-year, predominant in the south
central Mediterranean area blowing from between NW and NE but not
especially cold. It blows when a suitable pressure gradient develops, most
frequently when pressure is high over the Balkans and central Europe to the
north and relatively low over Libya to the south (trg. 15.22).
CLIMATOLOGY 193
c ' r e
c 9
Etesiun winds
This is the Greek term for the winds which are often a feature of the summer
months (May to early October) from a generally northerly direction across the
eastern Mediterranean and especially in the Aegean Sea. As described later
under Regional Climatology, at this seasonthere is a large trough westwards
from the Indian sub-continent. Etesian winds are strong NW to NE winds
regularly blowing at 10-30 kt and gusting at times to 40 kt. They freshen during
the day as insolation over the hot continents to the south and east temporarily
reinforces the fundamental pressure gradient. This, with the increased convec-
tional turbulence overland, can give turbulent handling conditions especiallyfor
smaller aircraft on take-off and landing, particularly if the runway in use is
crosswind as the wind direction often fluctuates too. Sometimes the Etesians
may be dust-laden. Often as the temperaturesfall at dusk, so the winds may fall
light or die away completely.
The name for Etesian winds in Turkey is Meltami (fig. 15.23).
Harmattan
This NE wind has already been referred to in connection with the inter-tropical
front over West Africa (fig. 15.8)and is the name given to the flow of continental
tropical air flowing from the Equatorial side of the Sahara Desert. It is dry and
dusty and very hot by day. Its aridity however often makes it more acceptableto
visitors to West Africa than the humid conditions which prevail in the rain
seasons.Because of the annual movement north and south of the ITF the
months when the Harmattan is experienced vary from one aerodrome to
another. Those to the north of about 18oNwhich remain always to the north of
the inter-tropical front have Harmattan conditions throughout the year.
t94 METEOROLOGY
ii,l
,'4-r-,
Fig.15.25 Simoom
Simoom
Simoom is the name given to the hot and very dusty winds (in fact, often
describedas choking or suffocatingly so) which occur in the Arabian and North
African deserts, or to the convectional dust,/sandstorms or whirlwinds with
which they are associated. They occur in spring or summer and completely
prohibit operations in their immediate locality. The Simoom may last no more
than20 minutes although the shallow thermal lows which form in the afternoon
may be 30-40 miles acrossand last for 2to 3 hours. Visibility near the surfacedue
to the wind-blown sand is down to a few metres but en-route aircraft can overfly
the storms at altitude. Being a local circulatory wind, no particular direction is
associatedwith the name Simoom.
Haboob
Haboobs occur in the hot dusty areas of the Sudan around Khartoum in the
afternoons and eveningsof the summer months of May to Septemberwhen the
ITCZ is to the north. Moist air flows in from the Indian Ocean at both low and
upper levels. Convection produces large cumulonimbus clouds and the strong
squall winds blowing from the clouds raise dust and sand ahead of the clouds to
considerableheights. As it approachesan aerodrome, the Haboob is associated
with an increase in surface wind speed and a reduction in visibility. The
duststorm is followed by a torrential downpour and thunderstorm before
conditionsimprove again.
t96 METEOROLOGY
1>
( L -
Southerly Buster
This is a strong and squally wind of south and south-eastAustralia, associated
with the passageof a line squall at a cold front following which the wind backs
to a southerly direction. There is a sudden and appreciable drop in temperature,
together with thunderstorms and often a line of roll cloud along the front edge
of the cumuliform cloud. Apart from the violent winds at the surface, flight
conditions at all levelsare very turbulent. The Southerly Buster is most frequent
from October to March. Similar conditions occur in Uruguay and Argentina
where the line squall and strong southerly winds are known as the Pampero, and
'South-Easters'.
in the southernmost parts of Africa where they are called
When interpreting the flight and landing forecasts for a long flight it is a great
advantage to have in the back of one's mind the usual conditions that can be
expectedat various stagesofthe route and what extremescould be encountered.
Consider in turn what pressure systemsand air massesdominate the area to
be overflown; what lower and upper winds are likely, together with the probable
cloud, precipitation, icing and height of the 0'C isotherm, visibility and fog. Is
there any risk of thunderstorms or other phenomena at any stage,including the
destination and any intermediate landings? For convenience, five areas of
operations are identified:
Europe and the Mediterranean
N Atlantic and N America
Asia and Australasia
Africa and South America
Pacifrc Ocean
in eachcase,a typical synoptic situation is sketchedfor a day in January and for
a day in July which will depict the seasonalchangesover the area.II is assumed
rrhatthe positions of the major topographical features (mountains, rivers, etc.),
and also, of course,of the international aerodromes,are known.
Pressuresystems
On a typical January day, NW Europe including the British Isles and Iceland is
usually affectedby frontal depressionswhich have travelled along the polar front
ri'hich at this time is in its most southerly position. Eastern Europe is under the
rnfluenceof the Siberian high which extendsa strong ridge westwards,which also
.:t times covers the British Isles as well as the European mainland. Depressions
rrack from west to east through the Mediterranean Seabut are not as numerous
a: those coming into NW Europe from the N Atlantic.
During the spring, the Siberian high gradually declineswhile the sub-tropical
lnticyclone over the Azores and north Africa intensifies and moves slowly
northwards. By midsummer, a typical July day's synoptic chart will usually
show frontal depressionsonly affecting the NW part of the area with a longer
198 METEOROLOGY
interval between the fronts passing over Britain and N European countries. The
bulk of Europe and the Mediterranean is dominated by a ridge of high pressure
extending eastwardsfrom the Azores high. From time to time this ridge collapses
to allow thundery lows or cols to develop.In the autumn, frontal lows start to
move through the Mediterranean again while the North Atlantic polar front
lows track progressivelyfurther south and are able to move their frontal systems
well into Europe before the Siberian high reassertsitself. Although not shown on
the typical January day depicted, sometimes eastern Europe has frontal
depressionsin winter and spring that have originated in the Black Sea-Danube
area and then track NW to Poland, Germany and even the North Sea'
Winds
Surface winds in January often reach gale force at the terminals of NW Europe
although the direction for take-off and landing for a particular flight wil depend
upon the position of the frontal lows at that particular time, but the prevailing
wind direction is from the south-west. Whenever the Siberian high becomes
dominant, surfacewinds are easterlyor north-easterly and may be persistent.In
the Mediterranean and the countries bordering it, again the winds are very
variable due to the passageofthe frontal depressionsand galescan occur at and
behind their cold fronts. In July, averagewind strengthsare lighter but galesand
rery variable winds still occur in the north-west. Away from the frontal areas,
surfacewinds are light and land seabreezesare a feature ofanticyclonic weather.
Where thermal lows or thunderstorms break out, surface winds can become
blusteryand squally.
Upper winds throughout the year are mainly from a generally westerly
direction, increasing with height up to the tropopause. In January, due to the
effect of the Siberian coldness which dominates the thermal component, over
westernEurope the upper winds tend to be frequently from north of west, while
in July the relative warmth of south-eastEurope compared to the north Atlantic
rendsto produce upper wind directions from rather south of west. Throughout
rhe year, but most frequently in winter, upper winds exceed 100 knots in jet
srreams associated with depressions moving along the polar front. The sub-
rropical jet-stream occurs in the easternMediterranean in January but although
Ir moves slightly north to the Cyprus-Turkey area in July it is then weaker and
unlikely to exceed80 knots.
right across to eastern Europe and as autumn gives way to winter so the
frequency of snow increases. By January, the probability of cold cloudless
weather over eastern Europe is high and the frontal cloud is confined to the
maritime countries further to the west and south. From spring onwards,
airstreamsflowing in from the Atlantic and North Seapassover the warmer land
and cumuliform cloud rather than frontal cloud is more common. Over and
around the Mediterranean in the anticyclonic conditions, fair weather cumulus
is most likely but in temporary collapsesof the high pressurelarge cumulus and
cumulonimbus develop over high ground of southern Europe.
For a pilot who has not learnt to fly in this area, visibility posesa problem over
Europe, especiallyin winter. When fronts are moving across,visibility is poor in
precipitation and the hill fog where the low cloud obscureshigh ground. Warm
sectors give widespread advection fog while in anticycionic conditions between
depressions, widespread radiation fog affects most airports in autumn and
winter. In some industrial areas,smoke may thicken the fog and make it more
persistent. In the summer only hill fog really posesany problem.
The height of the OoC isotherm (freezing level) is important for aircraft
operations especiallyin January, when it is usually on or very near the surface
over Europe, particularly by night. Even over southern Britain it averages
around 3000 to 4000 feet. With the large amounts of densecloud, airframe icing
is therefore a permenent winter hazard, especiallyover high ground such as the
Alps, the Pyreneesand in Scandinavia. In the Mediterranean the freezing level in
winter is usually around 10000 feet. By July, the freezing level over the
Mediterranean and southern Europe is usually around 15000 feet and icing only
a problem in thunderstorms when they break out. In northern Europe, the
freezing level has risen to averagearound 10000 feet but unfortunately the risk
of severe icing still remains in thunderstorms and in frontal cloud, especially
where the front is passing over hilly terrain.
Local phenomena
The local phenomena likely to be met when operating in this area are the local
winds of the Mediterranean mentioned earlier in this chapter - the Mistral, Bora"
Sirocco and Khamsin, etc. Tropical revolving storms do not enter the area and
tornadoes are extremely rare.
Pressure system
In considering flights into North America, it should be remembered that while
in Europe the arrangement of high ground allows the ready movement west to
CLIMATOLOGY 201
lMinds
Surface winds in January over the Atlantic and the aerodromes around it are
very variable in direction as the intensefrontal depressionsbring galeforce winds
as they move along the polar front. At the European terminals, as a low moves
in from the west so the winds freshen from the south, veer to south-west or west
in the warm sector and become squally north-west or north behind the cold
front. If the low is to the south, as for example it may well be at Reykjavik, the
surfacewind is easterly,which is also the direction which prevails in NW Europe
when the Siberian high extendsthat far to the west. On the North American stage
the wind direction is again dependent upon the position of frontal depression,
whether forming on the Atlantic or Pacific polar fronts or over the continent.
Between depressions,winds are light and variable in ridges and cols over the
whole area. In North America surface winds are mainly northerly in cold
continental conditions of high pressure. In the winter, at the Azores and
Bermuda the surface winds vary with the passageof fronts mainly to the north
of the aerodromes but are mainly light south-westerlies.Further south to the
Equator, north-east trade winds prevail. Upper winds are very strong and from
a mainly westerly direction with usually a jet stream in associationwith the polar
w cLrMAroLoGY
front. In the western Atlantic and the easternparts of North America, the upper
203
air temperature gradients are particularly great, so giving highjet stream speeds
and clear air turbulence in this area.
By July, the gales associated.with the depressions are normally only
experienced at the more northerly terminals and although the surface wind
directions are still variable at fronts, on the average they tend to be north-
westerly over Europe, south-westerly in the easternparts of North America and
north-west again on the Pacific coast. At the Azores and Bermuda and in any
extension of the oceanic anticyclones to cover the European and American
aerodromes, winds are light and variable with land-sea breezesoccurring on
coasts.Where summerthunderstormsoccur,suddensquallsshould be expected.
The north-east trade winds continue to dominate the southern part of the area.
Upper winds are still westerly and although usually not quite so strong as in the
winter there are still jet streams regularly in association with the polar front. In
the extreme south of the area where the trade winds are feeding into the inter-
tropical convergencezone, the upper winds are light easterlies.
ll/eather
The cloud and weather over and near the oceans is poor in January, being
controlled by the depressionsand their fronts. Usually there is extensivecloud up
to the tropopause, with very low base heights and belts of precipitation at each
of the fronts. At the more northerly aerodromes there is extensive snow and
when deep lows from off Canada and north-east USA, deep snow from slow-
moving warm fronts may close aerodromes in this area. Freezing rain can also
produce serioushazardsin the samearea. Frontal depressionspassingeastwards
across North America bring periods of bad weather and low cloud, but of
shorter duration, to the region of the Great Lakes but more often the flying
conditions are fine and clear although temperatures are well below freezing.
Away from frontal depressions,polar maritime air in any part of the more
northerly section of the North Atlantic-North America-North Pacific area will
give cold showery weather with turbulence, snow and icing. Overland when cols
or ridges of high pressureprevail, radiation fog is likely to occur and be slow to
clear during the day. Where the winds arejust too strong forfog, sheetsof stratus
or stratocumulus may be expected. Generally the freezing level is likely to be
between the surface in the North and West and 4000 feet over the UK. On
Atlantic crossingsfurther south via the Azores and Bermuda, frontal weather is
usually lesssevereand more widely spacedalthough some very intenselows with
severeicing can be encountered over the Bay of Biscay and on the stage from
Bermuda to the easternseabord of America. In the Caribbean and further south,
there are scattered fair weather cumulus in the trade winds with only a slight
chance of a light shower over high ground in the afternoon.
In the summer, polar front depressionstrack further north, are weaker and
lessfrequent. The Azores-Bermuda area enjoys settled anticyclonic conditions
which often extend to the adjoining continents in the same way that the Pacific
oceanic high extends to over the western parts of the area. As a result, with a
freezinglevel of around 10000 feet near the UK and some 15000 feet in the south,
204 MErEoRoLocY
frontal cloud and rain are unlikely to produce prohibitive operating conditions.
When pressure gradients are slack over NW Europe or over North America
convection of moist air causesthunderstorms and theseare particularly severein
eastern USA. Off the American coast, both the Californian and the New
England, there is often extensiveadvection fog so that the onset of a seabreeze
at, say, Los Angeles or Boston may bring surface visibility down to below
minima at exposed aerodromes on or near the coast.
Local phenomena
Clear air turbulence was mentioned in connection with the polar front jet
streams. In the south-west states of the USA in winter when jet streams blow
eastwards over the high mountains, lee-wavesand their attendant hazards are
common. The other local phenomena to be mentioned are violent thunder-
storms and tornadoes of the summer months in the USA in the Mississippi-
Missouri basin especially, with structural damage at the surface, violent
hailstorms, etc., and hurricanes in the summer and autumn. The hurricanes (of
which typical tracks were shown in fig. l5.ll) form in or to the east of the
Caribbean Sea and move west-north-west, then north-west and then north. If
they enter the Gulf of Mexico near the Mississippi delta they then soon start to
decline. If however they re-curve to cross Florida or the Bahamas, then in
addition to inhibiting operations at aerodromes here they continue to take up
moisture from the warm Gulf Stream and have much longer lives and may affect
other routes further north.
Pressare systems
In January in the north-east ofthe region, polar front depressionsform over the
Pacific and may be encountered on routes into Japan where they move mainly
east or north-east. Depressions also pass into the west of the area from the
Mediterranean, travel down The Gulf, gradually becoming less active and
generally dying out near or over northern India where they are known as western
disturbances.Mainly, however, over this region, pressurein January is high to
the north and decreasessouthwards to Sri Lanka and Singaporewhich are on the
edge of the Equatorial low. This is centred over Indonesia and north-west
Australia with the inter-tropical convergencezone just to the south of Djakarta
and near to Port Darwin. At the sametime, over Australia there is a belt of high
pressurewith anticyclonic centresmoving slowly from west to east,separatedby
'western
cols or troughs extending from the south. By April-May, the
disturbances' no longer reach the area, the Asian continental anticyclone is
CLIMATOLOGY
lAinds
Surface winds conform to the monsoonal flow so that in January there is a
general northerly or north-easterly flow from the northern hemisphere to the
southern hemisphere. As depressionspass from the west through The Gulf so
winds ahead of them become southerly but revert to northerly again after the
passageof the cold front. Over the Indian sub-continent, Thailand, etc., the
winds are north-easterly but near to Japan they may be northerly or north-
westerly. Here they are likely to becomegale force and cyclonically variable with
the passagenearby ofpolar front depressions.At, andjust south of, the Equator
the surface winds back north or north-west as they feed into the ITCZ. Over
Australia south of the ITCZ the south-east trade winds prevail, gradually
becoming light and variable near south-eastAustralia unlessany frontal systems
intrude from the south (Southerly Buster).
In July under the influence of the south-west monsoon, the surface wind
directions are reversed almost everywhere. From the Mediterranean eastwards
to the ITCZ surface winds are steadily northerly becoming south-westerly over
India. Near Japan and near to the Equator, the wind backs to southerly or south-
easterly.By central Australia, the south-easttrade winds fall to light and variable
and by New South Wales, conditions depend on the prevailing synoptic
situation. Ahead of the warm fronts winds are mainly north-westerly, westerly in
warm sectors and southerly, often strong, behind cold fronts. Throughout the
year in conditions of slack pressure gradients, coastal regions experiencefresh
land and seabreezes.In the Equatorial low pressure,particularly in spring and
autumn, the usual light winds may suddenly be replaced by squally winds of
which the direction is largely determined by local topography.
At normal cruising altitudes over the whole area north of the Equator in
January, upper winds are westerly and may be very strong betweenBangkok and
Tokyo due to the large temperature contrast betweencontinent and ocean in this
region at this season.From the Equator to the ITCZ upper winds are easterly
then reverting to westerly with flight southwards over Australia. In July, upper
winds are westerly everywhere south of the Equator and also in the northern
hemisphereto the north of the ITCZ. Otherwise over Asia from the ITCZ to the
Equator upper winds are easterly, usually less than 30 knots.
CLIMATOLOGY 207
lileather
As regardscloudandweatherin January,the Himalayanmountainspreventthe
direct outflow of very cold air from the interior of SiberiaacrossIndia so that
winters there are only relatively cool but ftne. From Karachi to Bangkok there
may be fog or mist patchesor very low stratusaround dawn on coastsand in
river valleys,but this soonclearsto be followedby a fine, sometimeshazy day.
In the westof the region,similar conditionsprevail in high pressures but as a
depressionapproachesso the increasing southerly winds bring dust and sand
stormsto thestagefrom Cairoto Bahrain. Warm frontsareweak but cold fronts
bring cumuliform cloud and heavyshowersand theseconditionsprevail for a
further day or two in the polar airstreambehindthe front. In theseconditions,
rain or hail showersoccurat low levelbut overhighgroundin theextremenorth-
west of the region there is snow with severeicing and turbulenceabove the
freezinglevel of approximately5000feet. Similarly in the north-eastof this
region over the China Seasand Japan,there is much cumuliform cloud in a
north-westerlypolar airstreamwhile, if a frontal low affectsthe Tokyo area,
warm fronts give widespreadlayer cloud with basesdown to 1000feet or less,
muchlow stratusin the warm sectorand showers,icing,etc.,at the cold front.
Flyingsouthwardsto aerodromes suchasColomboandSingapore, increasing
cumuliform cloud is encounteredand in their vicinity large cumulus and
cumulonimbusgive showers and thunderstorms,particularly overland in
afternoonsand evenings.Over Indonesiaand Australianorth of the ITCZ it is
alsohot and humid with thunderstorms,torrentialrain or hail and squallsover
both land and sea. with the storms intensifiedon the windward sides of
mountainsin Indonesia.
In centralAustraliasouth of the ITCZ it is hot, cloudlessand bumpy, with
dustoftenup to 15000feet.FurthersouthtowardsSydney,turbulenceoverhigh
ground can be severe.Otherwisethe worst flying conditionsoccur with the
arrival of a cold front from low pressureto the south. This then can bring in
severeduststormsto be followedby a southerlybuster.During the transitional
monthsof April and May, thenorthwardmovementof theITCZ bringsa season
of heavyrainsto Sri Lanka and Singapore.At the sametime, temperatures are
rising over Arabia and India and in this part of the regionflying becomesvery
bumpy with much dust haze.In the largeriver valleysof northern India very
violent but fortunately mainly isolatedpre-monsoonthunderstormsdevelop
during the day and must be avoided.
As the summer of the northern hemisphereadvances,so the south-west
monsoonsteadilyextendsnorth and westsothat by theendof July the wholeof
south-eastAsia is covered.The weatherin this south-westairstreamis bad with
massedthunderstormclouds and heavy rain and particularly so in troughs
circulatingaroundthe main monsooncentreof low pressure.At the sametime,
flying from theMediterraneanto Pakistanand north of theITCZ, conditionsare
dry, very hot, dusty and bumpy. Dust storms are likely to developin the
afternoonswhile at Bahrainon The Gulf, surfaceair moistenedlocally by The
Gulf makesconditionshot and humid.
During July on the other side of Asia when flying from the Philippines
208 MErEoRoLocY
Local phenomenu
There are a number of important phenomena that affect this area. Tropical
revolving storms seriouslydisrupt flights in many areasand, as may be seenfrom
fig. 15.11,they may be experiencedsomewherein this large region in any month
of the year. Important local winds have already been mentioned in this chapter.
Finally there are some very violent thundersqualls, two of which have local
names which it is as well to know. Near Calcutta, in April and May, i.e. pre-SW
monsoon, these thunderstorms and violent squalls set in during the late
'Nor-westers', indicating the direction from which
afternoon. They are called
they appear. Similarly,'sumatras'are squalls which occur in the Malacca Strait.
They oicur between April and November in the south-west monsoon. At night,
air flows katabatically out over the warm waters of the strait, towering
cumulonimbus with a characteristic arched shape develop with lightning,
thunder and torrential rain together with a sudden squall and drop of
temperature from the south-west, usually between 2300 and 0300 hours.
Pressure systems
The synoptic charts for typical days at the extremesofseasons have been drawn
for sealevel isobars. In some areasthe height of the terrain makes this unrealistic,
for example in north-east South America and south-easternparts of Africa, and
the practice then is to use the appropriate contour chart and streamlines. In
January, frontal depressionsmove from west to eastthrough the Mediterranean
CLIMATOLOGY 209
>, ] r BBABAMaTT ) L)
' A B A M A T , ) (
>\ (MHAI )'
210 METEoRoLoGY
Seabut their fronts do not extendvery far inland into Africa, having thek
greatestactivityin thewestof north Africa overtheAtlas mountains.Significant
cloud is normally only associated with the cold fronts and warm fronts may be
ill-defined.Usually a weak ridge of high pressureextendsfrom the westacrocs
Africa north of the Equator and then pressuredecreases southwardssouthof the
ridgeto the Equatoriallow and inter-tropicalconvergence zone(ITCZ) at aod
south.of the Equator. For a very short period in West Africa the ITCZ movs
just acrossthe coastto lie a few miles off-shore in the Gulf of Guineabut for
almost all of this seasonthelTCZ is north of aerodromes such as Accra and
Lagos. From central Africa to Zimbabwe, and also over most of Brazil'
Equatoriallow pressures occur'
Further south over the two continentsthe sub-tropicalhigh pressureis
dominant from a large anticyclonecentredover the adjoiningocean.Frontal
depressions affectthe southernand south-western parts of SouthAmerica.As
thi yearadvances, sotheITCZ movesnorthwards most rapidlyin thecontinens
and mostslowlyoverthe openoceanssothat for example, from March to May
it is virtually overheadat aerodromessuchas Nairobi. In September-October it
is overheadagain,movingsouthwards.By July, frontal depressions do not aflect
the Mediterraneanshoresof Africa and a ridgeof high pressurefrom the Azores
anticycloneextendsits influenceboth here and southwardsacrossthe desert
until the ITCZ's surfacepositionis reachedjust to the north of aerodromesat
Dakar, Kano and Khartoum. From the ITCZto the Equator,Equatoriallow
pressureconditions are experienced,gradually becomingless active as the
Equator is reached.Both Africa and South America from the Equator
southwardsto about 25' to 30oSare normally under anticyclonicconditions.
The remaining,most southerlyparts of the region,at this time of the yearare
likely to be affectedby fronts of depressions passingoffshoreto the south.
Winds
In Januaryon the north African coast,surfacewindsaremainly south-westerly
or land and seabreezes.When a depressionmovesthrough this areafrom the
west,surfacewindsfreshenfrom thesouthor south-east andafterthe depression
hasclearedto the eastthe windsbecomenorth-westerly.Inland overthe restof
Africa north of the Equator and in South America in northern latitudes,the
winds are north-easttrade winds backingto north on crossingthe Equator to
feedinto theITCZ. In Africa southof the ITCZ therearesouth-east tradewinds
(sometimesas south-west 'deflected' trade winds at Lagos) although these
becomelighter and more variablein the extremesouth whereland and sea
breezesoccuron coasts.In SouthAmerica,the Andesmountainsand the large
oceanicanticyclones overtheSouthPacificandSouthAtlantic havequitea large
influence.On the west coast, surfacewinds are usually southerlyfrom the
Equatorto thetropic andthenbecomesouth-westor westexceptwhenfrontsare
present.On the eastside of the continentthere is a steadybacking of wind
directionwith flight southwardsfrom south-easttradesto eastor north-eastin
northernBrazil to mainly north-westerlyby the time the River Plateestuaryis
reached.Further south, althoughgenerallyfrom a westerlypoint, the surface
cLIMAroLocY 2ll
winds over South America back from north-westto west then south-westas
fronts passby.
In July, the surfacewinds over Africa north of the ITCZ are north-easterly,
while in the sameareaof SouthAmericathey are more easterly.Further south
overSouthAmericathey arepredominantlysoutherlyor south-westerly on the
west coastbut on the eastcoastthe regimeis much as beforewith a steady
backingfrom eastto north and then north-westasonefliesfrom the equatorto
the River Plateestuary,and thereaftermainly westerlywindsvaryingasfronts
pass by. Over Africa from the ITCZ to the Equator there are south-west
'deflected'tradewindswhich backto south-eastin southernlatitudes.Southof
the tropic, wind directionsare more variable.As depressions passeastwardsto
thesouthof thecontinentwindsareinitially north-westbackingto westandthen
to southor evensouth-eastwith squallsat the cold front passage.
Upper windsarestrongwesterlies in the sub-tropicaljet-streamswhich occur
overthe mostnortherlyand mostsoutherlypartsof this region.In January,the
line of thejet-streamis around30oNandit is strongestin north-eastAfrica while
to the south,it liesacrossSouthAmericaat approximately40oSandjust to the
south of South Africa. Becauseof the presenceof the Equatoriallow and t*re
ITCZ,much of theregionhaseasterlywindsat altitude,oftenlessthan 30knots.
Thesewinds prevail over South Americafrom the north coastto about 20oS
while in Africa, they are found from around l0oN to about 20oSbeforegiving
way to the upper westerlies.In July, the northernhemispheresub-tropicaljet
streamis to the north of Africa and the upperwindsareonly modestwesterlies
from the north coastto theITCZ. Then light easterlies prevailoverboth Africa
and South America to l0"S beforerevertingto westerlieswith a possiblejet
streambetween30oSand 40oS.
Weather
In January, north-westAfrica has periods of cloudy weatherwith rain as
depressions passby. Warm fronts arenot activeasregardsprecipitationbut the
fresheningsoutherlywinds may causeduststormsbetweenTripoli and Cairo.
Cold fronts give more precipitationand over the Atlas mountainsthis may be
heavywith snowand severeicing.Inland overnorth Africa the desertgiveshot,
dry, bumpy conditionsby day with duststormsor dust hazewhich may extend
up to 15000 feet. Near the Equator, increasingcumuliform clouds are
encounteredwith showers and thunderstorms.Along the Nile and the
Mediterraneancoast,radiation fog sometimesforms around dawn but is very
quickly dispersedby solar heating.From the Equator to almost 20oSin both
continentsit is the rainy season,under the influenceof the Equatoriallow and
ITCZ. Theremaybelow stratiformcloudin theearlymorningbut it soonbuilds
up into large cumulus and cumulonimbusand there is heavy rain during
afternoonsand eveningswith squalls,thunderstormsand turbulence.Further
southwardstowardsCapeTown and BuenosAiresthereareusuallyonly small
fair weathercumulusand settledfine weatherbut occasionallyvery scattered
heatthunderstormsmay developin the evenings.
Later in the year, as the ITCZ passesnorthwardsso the main rainy season
212 MErEoRoLocY
occurs in central Africa (e.g. Nairobi) in April-May and eventually by July this
Equatorial weather extendsto l5o to 18oNso affecting terminals such as Dakar,
Kano and Khartoum. Over all of Africa north of the ITCZ it is now very hot and
dusty, with the bumpiness diminishing at night, and skies are mainly cloudless.
To the south of the lTCZasfar as the Equator, at the surfaceit is hot and humid
and although there may be low cloud overnight, by day there are towering
cumuliform clouds and thunderstorms which may go on into the early hours of
the morning. Flying conditions become particularly bad when line squalls,
orientated north-south, move westwardsacrossthe continent between 15oNand
the Equator.
Considering Africa south of the Equator, it is the dry seasonand days become
increasingly dusty and bumpy. Near the tropic, periods of moist air coming in
from the Indian Ocean lasting several days can produce low cloud at night
(.guti'). However, in the area near to Cape Town frontal cloud rain occur with
the worst conditions at cold fronts.
In South America in July in the most northern parts it is the rainy seasonwith
well-developed cumulus and cumulonimbus and heavy showers and thunder-
storms, again worst in line squalls or easterly waves as referred to above for
central Africa. The visibility is generally very good, deteriorating only for short
periods in healry rain. From the Equator to about 30'S it is the dry seasoneven
though very occasionally there is an isolated thunderstorm, especiallyin coastal
areasnear the tropic. At night too the same aerodromes are liable to low stratus
around dawn. The remainder of the continent is subject to frontal weather.
Warm fronts give overcastskies,low cloud basesand continuous rain, especially
to the west of the Andes, while warm sectors have very low stratus and drizzle.
Cold fronts may well develop line squalls with cumulonimbus, turbulence, icing
and heavy showery rain. With no fronts in the immediate area there is a risk of
radiation fog forming overnight, or low stratus in slightly stronger winds.
The passageof the ITCZ southwards in October and November brings a
secondrainy seasonas it passesoverhead, to aerodromesin countries on or Very
near to the Equator such as in Ecuador and Kenya, with thunderstorms and
generally unpleasant flying weather.
Local phenomena
There are a number of local phenomena, apart from the following local winds
already mentioned earlier in this chapter: Sirocco, Khamsin, Simoom, Haboob,
Harmattan, South-Easter and Pampero. Tropical revolving storms only have an
indirect effect. When they occur in the Indian Ocean they normally re-curve by
the Mozambique Channel. However, even though they do not normally pass
over land they supply very humid warm air at both low and high levelsfrom the
east to the routes such as Nairobi to Harare, intensifying the bad weather from
the ITCZ whenever they occur between January and April. The other
intensihcation of bad weather in the ITCZ occurs in easterlywavesor line squalls
which passfrom east to west near the Equator. Often particularly active over a
belt some 30 miles wide they move in sympathy with the upper wind at speedsof
some 20 to 30 knots although the squalls at their sudden onset have higher
CLIMATOLOGY 213
Pacilic Ocean
Although physicallythis region is the largestbeing described,in fact all the
surrounding continentshave featured in the descriptionsof the preceding
regionsand asfar as possiblerepetitionwill be avoidedalthoughsomewill be
inevitable.
Pressuresystems
From Octoberto March in the northernhemisphere, while winter anticyclones
dominatethecontinents,depressions form offthe Chinesecoastand alongpolar
fronts to the east.Their fronts can also affectthe Hawaiian Islandswhen the
north Pacific anticyclone declinesfrom time to time. The inter-tropical
convergence zone(TTCZ)liesacrossnorthernAustralia,extendseastwardsinto
the oceanto swingnorth-eastto the north-eastof Fiji and then lie west-eastat
about 5"N to SouthAmerica,with the belt of sub-tropicalhigh pressureon its
southernside.From April to SeptembertheITCZ is exclusivelyin the northern
hemisphere. It emergesfrom the mountainousinterior of Asia in the vicinity of
Korea,swingssouth-eastto lie eastof the Philippinesand theneastwards across
the North Pacificonly slightly north of its Januaryposition until nearingland
again,when it swingsnorth-eastto central America. To the north, the sub-
tropical anticyclonehas intensifiedand extendedeast-westto dominate the
oceanandoftenoverlapthecoastson both sidestoo. Pressure is still low nearthe
Aleutianssofrontscanstill affecttheCanadian west Similarly,
coast. becausethe
of
Equatoriallow is north of the Equator,all the southern hemisphere's major
oceanicroutesarenormallywithin the southernsub-tropicalhigh exceptfor the
occasionalintrusionnorthwardsof fronts from depressions evenfurther south.
Winds
In January,surfacewindsneartheAsianandAustraliancoastsarecontrolledby
the monsoonasalreadydescribed.Overtheopenoceanfrom the ITCZ to about
20onorth or southlatitudetherearesteadytradewinds.Overthe latitudeband
20oto 40othe winds graduallyfall lighter and eventuallyreversedirectionto
variablewesterliesand in higherlatitudesdependupon passingfronts for their
specificdirectionon a particularflight. By July, the westernpart of the region
will be dominatedby the south-easttradewindsfeedingin to becomethe south-
westmonsoonof Asia. Overthe openoceanthereis againon both sidesof the
ITCZ the steadytransitionfrom steadytrade winds to light winds in the sub-
tropical highs.Off the westcoastof the USA thereis a northerlyflow while off
thecoastofPeruandEcuadorthereis a southerlyflow becomingsouth-east near
@ cLrMAroLocY 215
the ITCZ. At upper levels, in January the winds are westerly except near the
Equator where they are easterly and light. Between Hong Kong and Tokyo
where the sub-tropical jet stream augments the polar jet stream, speedsof 200
knots occur at times. Over the southern hemisphere in central and southern
Australia and eastwards at the same latitude over the ocean, upper winds are
westerliesat speedsmainly of 50 to 60 knots. In July, almost everywheresouth
of the Equator has westerlieswhich are strongest in the sub-tropical jet stream
acrosscentral Australia. From the Equator to thelTCZthere are light easterlies
and then from the ITCZ northwards, westerliesgradually increase in strength
although not quite as strong as in January.
Weother
The weather in January in Asia and southwards to northern parts of Australia
is controlled by the north or north-east monsoon as already described.Very cold
and dry in northern China, the airstream becomespolar maritime by the time it
reachesJapan to give showery, unstable weather which alternates with frontal
conditions from depressionspassingnearby. The sameairstream parallelling the
'Siberian
China coast or turning slightly back onshore givesunder the edgeof the
high' low stratiform cloud, drizzle and poor visibility (Crachin) in the Hong
Kong area. By the time it reaches Indonesia, towering cumuliform cloud,
thunderstorms and their associatedturbulent flying conditions occur.
Flying eastwards on the trans-Pacifrc crossings, those parts of routes in the
southern hemisphere experience cumuliform cloud and thunderstorms in the
Equatorial low pressure in January, with particularly bad conditions, in fact
curtailing or prohibiting operations, in tropical revolving storms in the Fiji-
Queenslandarea. Away from such areas,trade wind conditions of scatteredfair
weather cumulus prevail. North of the Equator again large expansesof the ocean
also have trade wind conditions until beyond 20'N and then those of warm
oceanic anticyclones, until the HawailNorth America stage.Although Hawaii
usually has scatteredcumulus and any rainfall is usually over exposednorth-east
slopes of the islands, occasionally the Pacific high declines sufficiently for cold
fronts of depressionsto bring gale force southerly winds (Kona storms) and
healryrain. Further eastthe situation is determined by the passageof polar front
depressionsfrom the west or north-west and conditions from British Columbia
to California are broadly similar to the January conditions of north-west
Europe. Between the fronts and particularly in California, there are periods of
quiet but foggy weather. visibility is also poor in other parts of the region in
January at times. In Japan, fog, rain and snow may give limiting conditions and
along the China coastsand in valleys there is stratus or fog. Elsewherethere are
poor visibilities in torrential rain.
In July, the very large northern oceanic anticyclone gives much of the region
settled fine weather. The Asian coastline has its summer monsoon weather but
the western coastline of north America is much drier than in winter. In the north
there are still fronts from depressions travelling further to the north but
California is practically rainless although it suffers from the advection fog
offshore which drifts inland, later to lift into low stratus. The ITCZ gives an area
216 MErEoRoLocY
ofthundery rain north ofthe Equator and to its south there is a broad band of
fair weather cumulus in the south-easttrade winds. In the most southerly pars
of the region the weather is very changeable.There is a continuous flow of frontal
depressionsto the south of Australia and New Zealand, of which the cold fronts
are most active, separated by cols or temporary cold anticyclones.
Apart from the squally winds associatedwith thunderstorms and those with
cold fronts in higher latitudes the most important local phenomena associated
with this region are tropical revolving storms. They occur mostly in the western
sectionas shown in fig. 15.ll.
Test questions
Ql. Cold water coastsare found mainly on:
(a) the east sides of continents
(b) the north sides of continents
(c) the west sides of continents.
Q2. The Doldrums are:
(a) another name for the sub-tropical anticyclones
(b) cols between weak fronts encountered in low latitudes
(c) weak inter-tropical convergencezones.
Q3. At the tropopause over the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, the strongest
westerly winds are experiencedat 40oN in January:
(a) on the west sides of both oceans
(b) on the eastsidesofboth oceans
(c) on the east side of the Pacific and the west side of the Atlantic.
Q4. At 5oN 140'W in the Equatorial low pressurezone, the probable wind at
40000 feet will be:
(a) 090"/20 kt
(b) 180',/40 kt
(c) 270'/30kt.
Q5. On a flight from Heathrow to Fiji in February, with a night's stop-over
in Hong Kong, there is a risk of tropical revolving storms:
(a) in the Fiji area
(b) at both Fiji and Hong Kong
(c) in the Hong Kong area.
Q6. Which of the following storms is not a tropical revolving storm:
(a) cyclone
(b) tornado
(c) Typhoon.
Q7. Harmattan is the namegiven to:
(a) duststorm and thunderstorm in the Sudan
(b) wind-blown duststorm blowing onto the Mediterranean Sea
(c) dusty north-east trade winds of West Africa.
Q8. Flying the route Darwin to Sydney in January could mean a possibility
ofthere being:
(a) tropical storms at Darwin and/or a Southerly Buster at Sydney
cLIMAroLocY 217
Information provided
Firstly, what information does the satellite offer?
(a) It fills in data for what had previously been wide open spacesdevoid of
meteorological observations. Over oceans for example, away from
shipping lanes and ocean weather ships which themselveswere hundreds
of miles apart, there were no meteorological data exceptthose reported by
en route aircraft or special'met flights'. Now any such voids are filled in
with satelliteobservations.The satellitesthemselvesmay be polar orbiting
or geostationary. While in the former case,the satellitesdo literally follow
an orbital path around the earth taking polar regions into their view, in
the latter casethe satellite is put into orbit over the equator at a height of
35 900 km with a speedsuch that it rotates with the earth every 24 hours
to remain above the same point on the equator.
(b) To a spatial resolution of all parts of the earth's surface visible to the
satellite of much better than one kilometre, the on-board instrumentation
can transmit to monitoring ground stations, observations of use to pilots
such as surface temperatures, cloud top temperatures, cloud types,
structures, amounts and distribution, upper winds from which in turn
synoptic situations may be deduced. The cloud information may be
obtained as either a visible image or as an'infra-red image'. Examples of
each are depicted in figs 16.2 to 16.5. For the benefit of meteorologists
rather than flight crews' direct usage, radiometers (such as AVHRR -
Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometers) on satellites typically
measure:
o temperature profiles upwards from the surface to some 30 km;
o water vapour vertical distribution in the atmosphere;
. cloud temperatures;
o ocean temperatures and ocean current movements.
Cloudlessskies
Consider now the various elements which should be borne in mind in
interpreting images, assuming first that the skies are cloudless.
l. With an infra-red satellite image taken of NW Europe in winter, say,
January/February, the lowland temperature of the British Isles and the
mainland will show upWhite (cold) while the relatively warmer Atlantic, North
Sea and English Channel will show up black. In contrast, in hot anticyclonic
summer weather, say, JulylAugust, the sameland areaswhich will now be warm
will be black in contrast to the colder sea.Figs 16.2to 16.5have all beenchosen
for November when the mean surface temperatures of the land and sea were
similar.
2. Also in situations of little or no cloud, visible images over land will show up
all the snow-coveredareaswhich should not be confusedwith the cloud, e.g.over
the Alps, Scandinavia,Scotland,etc.
3. Cloudless conditions may, however, be associated with fog, which will be
depicted on satellite images. It may be radiation fog over land or advection fog
over land or sea.
220 MErEoRoLocY
4. Also, where the synoptic situations would produce cloudlessskies over open
areas such as oceansand desertswith terrestrial reporting stations far apart, do
not be surprised to seesmoke plumes streaming for miles from ships while the
latter areas may have duststorms and sandstorms with both of these features
giving an indication of the surface wind.
Tropical storms
In low latitudes, storms readily recognisable on visual and infra-red satellite
images are those described in Chapter 15,
l. Large cumulus and cumulonimbus associatedwith strong convection or the
intertropical convergencezone.
Although the satelliteimagescannot depict atmospheric (in)stability, the large
oceanic anticyclones ofvery stable air show up as cloudlessregions. In contrast,
the towering cumuliform cloud due to overland convection will show up as
individual white blobs, while over both land and ocean along the line of the
intertropical convergencezone (figs 15.9 and 15.10) they will take on an
organised arrangement dependent upon the zone's activity at the time.
2. Easterly waves/line squalls. These show up on satellite pictures as north./
south belts of towering cumuliform cloud typically some 30 nm wide.
3. Tornadoes. These extreme examples of cumuliform cloud (fig. 15.13) are
recognisable on satellite pictures. Becauseof the great instability involved, the
dome of the cumulonimbus may be carried up through the cimrs anvil. The tops
to the dome are then illuminated by the sun and cast shadows on the cimls
beneath, which can be seenon the satellite visual image.
4. Tropical revolving storms. The circular spiral cloud form of such storms (hg.
15.12) is clearly recognisable on both infra-red and visual images with the
'eye' easily visible. The storms' wide extent and steady remorseless
cloudless
track have been made much simpler to predict with the aid of satellite imager-v.
Temperatelatitudes
In Chapters I I to 14, the wide diversity and variability of weather in temperarc
latitudes have been studied and it is convenient to use the same broad divisiour
to consider what information can be gleaned from satellite pictures such as figs
16.2to 16.5but not in the samesequence.A simple baratic chart accompanics
each satellite image, for easeof comparison.
andcols.Wheretheair is relativelydry, theskieswill becloudkr
l. Anticyclones
and the factors already mentioned on page 165will apply. In cols, with moist ai
overland in summer the development of individual thunderstorms can
observed with their relatively slow movement across country.
2. Air masses.Maritime tropical air spreading from the south-west into
British Isles will often be accompanied by a widespread sheet of stratus
stratocumulusclearlyshown on the satelliteimagebut unfortunately,
not separately identifrable from the overcast of the warm frontal cloud
preceded it. In contrast, maritime polar air's cumuliform cloud can be
identified in satelliteimages.The cumulus may be smaller and scatteredas
INTERPRETATIoN oF SATELLITE IMAGES 22I
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INTERPRETATION OF SATELLITE IMAGES
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INTERPRETATIoN oF SATELLITE IMAGES 225
over the British Isles in fig. 16.2 or towering and widespread as spreading into
and over the NW British Islesin fig. 16.3.
3. Non-frontol lows. Over NW Europe, polar air depressions develop from
extremely unstable cold maritime airstreams. Thus the showery conditions over
Scandinavia of frg. 16.4, for example, could become more organised areas of
showery activity either along trough lines or as separateshallow centres oflow
pressure.These can be identified on satellite images and their movement along
with the airstream deduced from successiveimages.
4. Polarfront lows. Often along the trailing cold front of one depression, the
development of the next depressionin the family of lows shows up as a'comma'
shapein the cloud image. The sequentiallowering of the layer cloud on the warm
front doesnot show up on satellitepictures becausethe veil of upper cloud masks
the lower cloud. However, what can be seenis that the warm front may not be
uniformly active along its whole length - an example being the lessenedfrontal
activity over the Irish Seaand N. Wales in fig. 16.4.As already mentioned under
Air masses,above, the transition from densefrontal layer cloud to a sheetof only
stratus or stratocumulus at the passageof the warm front cannot usually be seen,
all of the cloud looking like one uniform sheet. However, cold fronts do often
clear quite dramatically and their alignment and speedof movement can then be
very obvious, e.g.,from the Isle of Man to NW Spain in fig. 16.5.
General
Satellite imageshave provided forecasterswith up-to-date information for areas
where previously it had been very sparse. They enable development and
movement of areas of activity to be monitored and extrapolated for forecasting
purposes. This facility is particularly useful for severestorms which fortunately
provide good images, and many of which storms may be originating over open
oceans(e.g. typhoons over the Pacific Ocean). Currently, the UK has electedto
differ from ICAO regulatory material (UKAIP-MET) in that meteorological
satellite photographs or mosaics (i.e. of photographs) and/or nephanalyses
(cloud distribution) are not routinely displayed in mostUKFlight BriefingUnits.
Test questions
Ql. On a satellite visual image of NW Europe it is usually:
(a) relatively easy to distinguish the surface position of both active
warm fronts and cold fronts
(b) relatively easierto distinguish the surfaceposition of a warm front
than that of a cold front
(c) relatively easierto distinguish the surface position ofa cold front
than that of a warm front.
Q2. It is true to say that on satellite images, fog can be seen
(a) only over land masses
(b) over the sea in the caseof advection fog and over the land if it is
radiation fog, advection fog or hill fog
(c) only if it is hill fog.
226 METEOROLOGY
accidents have occurred where pilots have assumed that a report has been e
forecast.
consideringfirstly the observationsmade at a meteorologicalstation (ad
rememberingthat there are many more reporting stationsthan forecastiq
offices),the main elementsobservedand the methodscommonlyusedaregirrcn
in Table17.1.
Pressure
Bayometer
The pressureof a column of mercury is balancedagainstthe pressurebeing
exertedby the atmosphere on the mercuryin the barometercistern(fig. 17.lI
The greaterthe atmosphericpressure,the greaterthe column of mercury.Thc
instrumentis calibratedassumingstandardconditions,so to obtain eFF it is
necessaryto apply correctionsfor index error, temperatureerror, latitu&
(gravity)error and to 'reduce'the readingto meansealevel.
columnof
mercury
atmospheric
pressure
cistem -
Barograph
A block of capsulesalmost completely evacuatedof air will be compressedwhen
atmospheric pressure increasesand will expand when it decreases.The motion
is magnified by a lever systemand the variation ofpressure recorded by a pen on
a rotating drum.
the screendoor is on the north side (vice versa for southern hemisphere)and the
instruments at 4 feet above sround level.
Temperature
Dry-bulh thermometer
The air temperature is measuredby a mercury-in-glassthermometer in which the
mercury expands up the capillary tube as the air temperature rises.
Maximum thermometer
This is similar to the dry-bulb but it has a constriction in the capillary tube so that
although the mercury when expanding can force its way through as the
temperature rises, it is unable to contract into the reservoir as the temperature
falls. Like the doctor's clinical thermometer it is reset by a brisk shake.
Minimum thermometer
This is an alcohol-in-glass thermometer with a small index in the capillary of
alcohol. Although the spirit flows round the index as the temperature rises,when
the temperature falls the index is dragged by the spirit's meniscus towards the
thermometer bulb. Provided the thermometer is not disturbed from its
horizontal position before the reading is taken, the high temperature end of the
index indicatesthe minimum temperature.
Thermograph
Usually the recording on the rotating drum via a system of levers is of the
movement of the'free' end of a bimetallic strip of which the other end is fixed to
the instrument frame.
Humidity
Wet-bulb thermometer
The wet-bulb is the same as a dry-bulb except that it is wrapped with a muslin
bag kept damp by distilled water from a wick leading from a small jar. If the
relative humidity is l00Vo there is no evaporation from the muslin bag and the
dry-bulb and wet-bulb read the same.If the air is unsaturated, the depressionof
the wet-bulb reading below the dry-bulb increases as the relative humidity
decreases.
Hygrograph
The sensitiveelement is commonly a bunch of human hairs of which the length
varies with the relative humidity. over normal temperatures, the changes in
humidity are reasonably reflected but the exact relative humidity cannot be
relied upon.
Apart from the above temperature and humidity instruments kept in the
thermometer screen,a grassminimum thermometer is put out at night on grass
230 MErEoRoLocY
'ground frosts'
on two pegsto record the minimum temperature there, and hence
'air frosts' noted from the screenminimum temperature.
as opposed to
Cloud
The type(s) and amount of clouds are assessedvisually.
Height of base
Various methods are used. The observer may make a visual estimate of this too
but the usual instrument is a'cloud-base recorder'. This consistsof a transmitter,
a receiverand a recording unit, which is in continuous unattended operation, day
and night. An upwards projected beam of light is scatteredand reflected by the
cloud basewhich is detectedby a vertically-pointing receiver'sphoto-electric cell.
The base height is measured and automatically recorded on a trace. Other
methods are to time the ascentof a pilot-balloon which is rising at a known rate
until it disappearsinto the cloud, and at night to measurethe angle of elevation
of a patch of the cloud-base illuminated by a vertical searchlight beam basedat
a known distance from the observer, and to calculate the base height by
trigonometry.
Direction
Measured by a vane, the large keel-surface at the tail end of which is blown
down-wind of the central pivot. Its indication is reproduced on a meter in the
meteorological office.
Speed
Although there are some pressure tube anemometers still around (similar in
priciple to airspeed indicators) most are cup-generator anemometers. Three
hemispherical cups mounted radially on a vertical spindle rotate as the wind
blows. This rotation is fed to a small electrical generator in a weather-proof
housing at the spindle. The generatedvoltage increaseswith windspeedand is fed
to an indicator calibrated in knots in the meteorological offrce.
Away from a meteorological observing station, a good knowledge of thc
Beaufort scale of wind force is invaluable, as is also the angle of dangle of a
landing ground's wind-sock relationship to the surface wind speed.
Visibility
Often assessedvisually by noting the range at which objects at known distanqs
can still be clearly recognised(fixed lights at night).
Trunsmissometer
This records the transparency of the atmosphereautomatically and continuoudy
by day and by night, keeping a record on a chart. A photocell receiverdetectsthc
brightness of the light receivedfrom a horizontal searchlight beam, of which tb
@
oRGANTsATIoN, oBSERVATToNS,REpoRTs AND FoRECASTS 231
original brightness is known. The poorer the visibility, the greater is the
attenuation, so the chart can be calibrated in terms of meteorological optical
range.
Visibility meter
Visibility can also be measuredat night by meansof a Gold visibility meter (Gold
was the inventor's name). The meter is a photometer consisting of a glass slide
of increasing opacity through which a light of known brightness at a known
range is viewed, and the slide adjusted until the light is just visible. The slide
reading is transferred to a table compiled for that observer'seyesight,the light's
brightness and range, and the corresponding daytime visibility read off.
Weather radar
Many stations now have radar heads from which responses are shown on
circular time-basesof which the range can be varied. Dense cloud, precipitation
and thunderstorms particularly can be tracked in relation to the station,
automatically, by night and day. However, in the UK (asa differencefrom ICAO
Regulatory Material) ground-based weather radar information is not currently
routinely displayed in most Flight Briefing Units.
Other observationsthat are regularly made, but are not normally passedon to
the aviation users,are the amount of precipitation (measuredby meansof a rain-
gauge),the hours ofsunshine (from a glassspherethat acts like a burning-glass,
the meteorologist's crystal ball), and the state of the earth (from a tended earth
plot in an open situation).
Availability of information
The completed observations are put into code, passedon by landline and later
redistributed by the same means. In the United Kingdom, the headquarters of
the Meteorological Office is at Bracknell, Berkshire. It should of course be
remembered that aviation is not the only user of the meteorological service.
Other forms of transport, e.g. shipping, highway authorities, British Rail, are
major userstoo, as well as other bodies such as the Central Electricty Generating
Board and British Gas who have to anticipate demand - not to mention farmers,
horticulturalists, builders, major sports promoters and many others.
The procedures are internationally agreed under the auspicesof the World
Meteorological Organisation (WMO) which is a specialisedagencyof the United
Nations Organisation. The specialised needs of aviation, whether local or
international, are cateredfor by the Meteorological Division of the International
Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and in the United Kingdom the Civil
Aviation Authority (CAA) devolvesthis responsibility on to the Meteorological
Office. The official ICAO documents to which the United Kingdom conforms
are tabulated in the MET section of the Air Pilot. For a candidate preparing for
CAA pilot licenceexaminations, an up-to-date copy for referenceis essentialand
should be read in conjunction with this chapter.
232 MErEoRoLocY
Southern:SouthernEngland(southof a lineapproximatelyfromSouthWales
to the Wash)
Northern:Northern Englandand Wales
Scottish:Scotlandand Northern Ireland
and makesuse of sub-regions,whereapplicable,for clarity. The information
provided(for an 8-hourperiodof validity)comprisesa generalsynopsisfollowed
by forecastconditionsup to 15000feet(except*) of:
l. Weather
2. Warnings
*3. Windsand temperatures (2000ft,5000ft, 10000ft, 18000f,
4. Clouds
5. Visibility
6. Freezinglevel
7. Icing
8. Outlook
The format is so arrangedthat a telephonecaller(receivingthe information at
dictation speed)can quickly determineif the forecastweatherconditionsare
unsuitablefor the intendedflight and if so, ring off.
The forecasts are issued at every six hours after updating on a routine basis,
but can be revised if the need arises between the standard times. The actual
process of recording the UK Regional Forecasts for telephone callers has been
allowed an hour, so the AFTN and Telex service distributes the data one hour
before the forecast's period ofvalidity.
The meteorological offices providing a service to UK general aviation also
operate an 'on-request' telephone service providing available TAFs and
METARs for aerodromes in the forecast regions to pilots not having accessto
teleprinter aerodrome information.
Forecasting offices will also, subject to prior request, make arrangementsfor
the supply of specialisedmeteorological information on:
(a) thermal activity and seabreezesfor gliding, balloon, microligh.t andliang-
gliding operations
234 MErEoRoLocY
(b) 1000 ft wind and temperatures, information on airframe icing, sea state
and temperature forecast for offshore operations off eastern England
(c) particular needsfor special events for which the routine broadcasts ma-r*
be inadequate.
There is also a Jersey AIRMET providing a similar service for a 50 nm radius
around the Channel Islands.
Facsimile Sewices
Pilots with accessto facsimile equipment (CCIT group 3 - detailed below) in tbc
'dial-up' seryice.
UK can utilise either a broadcast service or a
Broadcast service
By prior arrangement with the Aviation Marketing Manager of the Met Offrcc'
users can receive on a routine timetable any or all of the following charU
(minimum 5 per day):
upper air wind/temperature charts (NAT, EUR, MID, AFI),
signifrcant weather charts (NAT, EUR, MID, AFI),
surface charts,
UK low level wind and significant weather charts.
The fax machine must:
1. be directly accessiblefrom outside the company's premises without manual
oRGANTSATIoN,oBSERvATToNS,REpoRTSANDFoRECASTs235
basis. The Commercial Servicesof the UK Met Office, in conjunction with the
CAA and British Aerospace, offer MIST which delivers up-to-date aviation
weather information to your own personal computer (PC) in an oflice, home or
the self-briefing unit or clubhouse of a flying club, etc. Designed to be user-
friendly to IBM-compatible PCs with VGA colour monitor, the service is
delivered in two forms:
l. a dedicated line which provides continual automatic updates of specified
information,
2. a'dial-up'facility which transmits specificinformation requestedby the user.
Designed to enable continuing refinement of these services, currently the
aviation weather available includes:
UK and European TAFs and METARs,
UK and European maps highlighting significant weather,
National and regional weather radar showing the location, amount and
direction of movement of any precipitation,
Analysis and forecast charts of mean sealevel pressureand fronts over the UK
and Europe,
Interactive display of surfacewind, surfacetemperature, significant cloud and
weather information for selectedprecise areas,
Wind data selected from a display for different altitudes, for up to five
locations along a chosen route,
AIRMET regional/ area forecasts,
Aviation weather warnings,
Display of airfreld colour states - a colour coding depicting the cloud/
visibility combination as it affects aviation.
Satellite imagery of the Eastern Atlantic and Europe is being developed.
The Aviation Marketing Service of the Met Office, Bracknell, handles the
MIST service,including a 24-hour helpline.
In-flight procedures
Again becauseof the volume of air traffic, pilots are expected to make use of
routine broadcasts when en-route rather than ask for an individual personal
service for their particular flights. The sources of information available are
VOLMET which issues on a half-hourly cycle METARs for a given list of
airports, and Automatic Terminal Information Service(ATIS) for that specific
aerodrome.
However, if particular information that is required is not included in the
routine broadcasts or if the aircraft is having to divert to a route for which no
forecast has been provided, the pilot can obtain the meteorological information
he requires on request to the ATS unit which is serving his aircraft.
Aircraft in flight are warned if any of the following SIGMET phenomena are
occurring or are expectedto occur on the route aheadfor up to 500 nm or 2 hours
flying time.
active thunderstorms (other than isolated or scattered storms)
tropical revolving storms
severeline squall
238 MErEoRoLocY
hearryhail
severeturbulence
severeairframe icing
marked mountain waves
windspread storm of dust, sand or volcanic ash
For aircraft at transonic and supersonic cruising levels, there are SIGMET
SST for:
moderate or severeturbulence
cumulonimbus clouds
hail
Provided prior arrangementsare made between the aircraft operator and the
forecast office serving the departure aerodrome, in exceptional circumstancesan
en-route servicecan be made available for a given route sector between specified
flight levels. Other facilities available to aircraft in flight which are applicable
only to certain aerodromes in the UK are:
Marked temperature inversion warning
Kirkwall Talk-to-Met
London,/Heathrow and Belfast/Aldergrove Windshear Alerting Service
At certain aerodromes, warning of a marked temperature inversion is
broadcast on ATIS, or in its absencein the arrival or departure message,when
there is a surface inversion of l0 C deg or more up to any point within 1000feet
of the aerodrome surface. Kirkwall Talk-to-Met service is operated by
'to enable
meteorological officew staff outside the aerodrome's published hours
pilots, particularly those flying at lower altitudes, to obtain meteorological
information for a limited number of aerodromes in the area'.
The windshear alerting serviceissuesalerts in the arrival and departure ATIS
broadcasts. as either:
WINDSHEAR FORECAST or
WINDSHEAR FORECAST AND REPORTED OT
WINDSHEAR REPORTED.
The criteria used for potential low level windshear are listed in the Air Pilot.
Whilst in flight, pilots are not required to make routine meteorological
observations in the London or Scottish FIR/UIRs. However, AIREPs are
required ifthe aircraft encounters any of:
severeicing
severeturbulence
moderate turbulence, hail or cumulonimbus met during transonic or
supersonic flight,
other meteorological conditions likely to endanger or affect the operational
efficiency of other aircraft (e.g. low-level windshear).
Aerodrome warnings
Provided they have notified the CAA, aerodrome operators are issued with
warnings when significant meteorological conditions are forecast. The aero-
drome operator then distributes the warnings to aircraft owners and operators
using the aerodrome. Warnings are issued for UK aerodromes for:
oRGANrsATroN,oBSERVATIoNS.
REpoRTSAND FoREcASTS 239
and,
TAF YYGGggZ CCCC GrGrGrG2 dddffGf'f'KT VWVor wrwrNNNhhhorWhhh
CAVOK or NSW or SKC or NSC
(TTrTr/GrGrZ) (6l"h1hihitr) (sBhBhBhBtL) PROBCC GOG"G" TTTTT GGG"G"
orfiGG
followed by forecastgroups as required.
Messages would comeoff the teleprinteras,for example:
METAR EGKK 3OO52OZ 33OI5G37KT3OOVOOOI2OONE99993 +SHSNRAGR SCTOOS
BKNOIOTCU03,/MOI Q0998 WS RWY26I RETS BECMG AT 0600 9999 NSW SCTO2O
BKN120=
and,
-RA BKN010 TEMPO
TAF EGKK3o 06152 330l5KT 9999 SHRA BKNOI5TCU BECMG 0911 21000
1214 1000 DZRA OVC004 FMl400 00020G359999 -SHRA BKNOISTCII=
Weathergroup
+SHSNRAGR is the significantweathercompiled from Table 17.3(
shouldbe known). It is commonto METAR. SPECIand TAF.
-, *, areintensityindicatorsandtheirabsence
meansthat thesignificant
is moderate.
Provided that the visibility is greater than 3 km (3000), it is not necessar)'
stationsto report BR, DU, FU,HZ,IC and SA.
The weather group is compiled from left to right acrossthe table, using
'in the vicinity blowi
of the entries as are applicable, e.g. VCBLSA, meaning
sand'. In the METAR above, +SHSNRAGR thus means heavy shower(s)
snow, rain and hail while in the TAF, SHRA means moderate rain
Cloudgroup(s)
Cloud informationmay be givenin up to four groups,working from the
ORGANISATION, OBSERVATIONS,REPORTSAND FORECASTS 241
TAF
Thegroupsin bracketsin theTAF codearenot currentlyusedin the UK but are
appliedin accordancewith regionalair navigationalagreements.
(TTrTr/GrGrZ) = Forecast temperature group
TeTn: Forecast temperature (oC) at time GrGn ,.,r,,'i);:.*u
GrGr: Time in hours of forecast temperature
(6l.hih,hitr-)= Forecasticing group
',.,',l|:}
242 METEoRoLoGY
METAR,/SPECI
TTlTaTa:Temperatures group
TT: air temperaturein wholeoC ] In both cases,0.5oCis rounded
ToTa:dewpointtemperaturein wholeoC. J up and M indicatesMINUS
QPPPP:QNH roundeddown to next wholemillibar.
REWtWl: Recentsignificantweathergroup. Given if any of the following
have occurred in the last hour but is not occurring at the time of
observation:RA, SN,GR, GS,PE,BLSN, SS,DS, TS andVA (Table17.3).
WSRWYDnDn:Windsheargroup
WS: windshear
RWY:runway
DnDn: runway designator
TTTTT: Trendforecast(BECMG or TEMPO). Followedby TTGGgg (asin
TAF, FM, TL, AT, time) and surfacewind, visibility, weather,cloud.
DECODE
The decodeof the TAF on page239is therefore:
Aerodrome forecastfor GATWICK for 30th day of month for the period
0600-1500UTC: Surfacewind 330oT,15kt; visibility l0 km or more;moderate
rain shower(s);5-7 oktas toweringcumulusbase1500ft aboveground level;
becoming0900-1100h UTC: visibility 4 km; slight tain;5-7 oktascloud,base
1000ft "gl; t"-porurily 1200-1400 h UTC: visibility 1 km; moderatedrizzleand
rain; 8 oktas,base400ft agl;from 12100h UTC: surfacewind 000'T/20kt gusting
to 35 kt; visibitity l0 km or more; slight rain shower(s);5-7 oktas towering
cumulusbase1500ft agl.
AmendedTAFs. If a TAF requiresamendment,this is indicatedby the insertion
oRGANISATToN, oBSERVATIoNS, REpoRTS AND FoRECASTS 243
METAR/TAF Tables
Table17.3
Qualifiers Weatherphenomena
Intensitvor
. :. uescnDuon Precipitation Obscuration
proxlmlry
- light MI, shallow DZ,dizile BR, mist PO, well-
BC, patches RA, rain FG, fog developeddust/
DR, drifting SN, snow FU, smoke sandwhirls
BL, blowing SG, snow VA, volcanic SQ, squalls
grains ash
* heavy SH, showers IC, diamond DU, widespreadFC, funnel
dust dust clouds
VC, in the TS, PE, icepellets SA, sand SS,sandstorm
vicinity thunderstorm GR, hail HZ,haze DS, duststorm
FZ, supercooledGS, smallhaV
PR, partial snowpellets
(coveringpart
of aerodrome)
"^1"' I '! i
\._;", ,, a..,.,.;
METEOROLOGY
B & N Z E
s t Z
a 2
ra i! ! zi z
r ! F r a { 5
A V ) U I J r r
R 7
( J A " I I J
u r )
o v2 z 6 Y Y .
o0
o
! r ) I r
U $
9 Z Z
z d
.. d
o o
B e
F.l Z
g g 3Fs l l r l
hl
HH2992
N
x o i
o 9 :
r.l
o H x
i l i l i l
A Z
= ^ >8tr
z z
v =
e = O
\i. o !
, C A
N b o p O J H
>,c a t t l t l
s 9 .
m *zz
I sq)
| '/
\----"'
eNp rongcesrs
REPORTS
oBSERvATIoNS,
oRGANISATIoN, 245
5th/6th digits - Depth. From 0l to 90 inclusive, the code figure is the depth in
millimetres,9l : l0 cm and then incrementsof 5 cm from 93
: 15 cm to 98 = 40 cm or more. 00 is lessthan I mm and 99
means that the runway(s) is non-operational due to deposits.
|Ih/}th digits - Friction coefficient, e.g. .35 means a friction coefficient of
0.35. If it is not available, braking action is indicated by a code
figure 91 to 95 ranging from 9l : POOR to 95 = GOOD. 99
= Unreliable and // : Runway non-operational, braking
action not reported, or aerodrome closed, etc.
Thus an appended group of58451594 would mean that Runway 08R is covered
by d.y snow over 26% to 50Voof its length to a depth of 15 mm and the braking
action is medium to good.
A final reminder. Do not make a requestpre-flight,'I would like to know the
weather at xxxn or any similar remark which could be misinterpreted, and
certainly do not ask for the'met. report for xxx'when what you really want is a
forecast for the destination and its alternates.
Test questions
Q1. A MeteorologicalWatch Office:
(a) is located at all international airports in the UK
(b) compiles all the aviation forecasts issued in the UK
(c) keepsits ATTC informed of meteorological conditions in its FIR/
UIR.
Q2. Pre-flight a pilot normally collects forecast documents which have been
compiled:
(a) for his particular flight
(b) for his particular flight and must have them initialled by the duty
forecaster in his presenceat the end of his crew's briefing
(c) for self-briefing and ifhe has any queries, contacts the designated
forecast office for the departure aerodrome.
Q3. When a special forecast is required for a flight of 600 nm direct to the
destination, a pilot should give the maximum possible notice and
normally should give at least:
(a) 2 hours before the time of collection
(b) 4 hours before the time of collection
(c) 6 hours before the time of collection.
Q4. Aerodrome warnings of impending bad weather are issued by the
authorities to:
all aircraft owners and operators based at the aerodrome
(b) aerodrome operators
(c) all owners hangaring their aircraft at the aerodrome.
Q5. The United Kingdom usesthe Air Pilot to publish that the cAA departs
from ICAO in measuring and reporting: //lAX - -.'',\
(a) atmosphericpressurein millibars {&rt
(b)windspeedinknots l : i - i l """'"'
iY:''i?l
(c) visibilityin nauticalmiles. \-'.,. yro/
\.1r) y-.t/
\".*l;r
246 MErEoRoLocY
-f
L996 X -* l0
ta90l '>-s
.r" '1
w ( ,sot \
ttx'1
L C B
I'l XXX
l;; l
f'l
\r _r0 IJ
I \121 '.
.af
\ \
BKN 3OO
\
LYn xxr \
FL lqFl5o
7q)-150 HPA
MARCH
chart
Fig.A.3 Wind./temPerature
24 27gn -6
18 27085 - 23
t0 2m55 - t0
oS 20,10 - ol
(I2 29(n0 + 06
(rc 0/t
high
cloud
tYPe
alr medium
cloud msl
temperature pressure
type
visibilitv
- Presnt
/G'-\
Icloud I barometric
weatner \ Mrr r I tendency
\7
dewpoint low past
temperature cloud weather
type
amount, + surface
lSin?, wind
147
161
v
Fig. A.6 Typical stationplot
wind direction, but the other elements are always plotted in the same position
relative to the station circle. The decode of the individual elementsis as follows.
There is no particular significance in the order in which they are considered.
Surface wind. This is shown as an arrow flying with the wind. It is plotted (to the
nearest l0oT, e.g.030,040 but not 045oT)from the direction from which the wind
is blowing and its speedis shown by the'feathers'on the arrow shaft, as follows:
APPENDTx 251
calm JJ-J /
\\-
1 , |
38-42 It\t
3-7 43-47 lll\
L)-Z I
\- 63-67 N-
28-32 \l- 68-72 \
Winddirectiongivenbut speedmissing
Winddirectionvariable(Q
x-
Total amount of sky coveredby cloud.This is shown in the station circle itself, each
complete quarter representing 2./8 cloud cover.
Nil o 3/
/8 o 6/
t8 o
Y ' O /8 o ,1, o
T r O 1e o 8/
/a o
Sky obscuredg
Z- increasingamountsof AC
& AS (or NS) and AC, or denseAC
H turretedAC
4 AC at severallevelsin a chaotic-lookingsky
High cloud type. This is shown to the north of the station circle and of any
mediumcloudsymbolplotted.The symbolmay be decodedas:
--r CI not increasingin amount
--1, denseCI but not from anvil of a CB
.-) dense CI from CB anvil
/ increasing amounts of CI
l-- CS increasing
2_ CS increasing to high in the sky
r-.3
CS overcast
-J CS not increasins
Lcc
Amount, and height of base,of cloud.This information is given immediately to the
south of the cloud type to which it relates.The single figure to the left of the / is
the amount of that cloud in oktas (eighths) while the base height figures to the
right of the / may be decoded as follows:
Codefigure Height of baseinfeet
00 Lessthan 100
0l 100
02 200etc
i.e. the code figure is the height in hundreds of feet, up to and including:
50 5000
5l to 55 are not used,then
56 6000
57 7000
offeet,up
i.e.subtract50fromthecodefigureto obtaintheheightin thousands
to andincluding:
80 30000
Height then increasesby increments of 5000 feet up to
88 70000 and
89 is over 70000
Past weather. This relates to the period since the last synoptic report (six hours
at 06,12, etc.,three hours at 03, 09, 15,etc.,and one hour at 01,02,04, etc.)and
is plotted to the south-east of the station circle and the symbol decode may be
summarisedas:
+, : duststorm or sandstorm
: storm of drifting snow
l'
= =fog
t = drizzle
r = rain
t : snow
V : shower(s)
: thunderstorm(s)
T
APPENDTx 253
^v = DrizzIe,freezing,heavy
a
, = Drizzle and rain, slight
,a = DizAe and rain, heavy
t
a : Rain, intermittent
slight
aa = Rain, continuous
a
a
= Rain, intermittent
moderate
a : Rain, continuous
aa
I Rain, intermittent
heavy
a,
Rain, continuous
AJ Rain, freezing,slight
6a Rain, freezing,heavy
254 MErEoRoLocY
$ = Rain or drizzleandsnow,slight
*
= Rain or dizzle and snow,heavy
*
* : Intermittentsnow
I sfight
* * = Continuoussnow I
I = Intermittentsnow I
moderate
*1 =continuour;;; I
I = Intermittentsnow I
-.* t heavy
*l* = Continuoussnow
'i t
= Rain shower(s),slight
i
= Rain shower(s),heavy
i
= Rain shower(s),violent
e
3 : Shower(s)
of rain and snow,slight
V
i = Shower(s)
of rain and snow,heavy
v
= Snowshower(s),
slight
f
= Snowshower(s),heavy
F
: Shower(s)
of snowpelletsor soft hail, slight
0
: Shower(s)of snowpelletsor soft hail, heavy
f
= Shower(s)of hail, slight
i
= Shower(s)of hail, heavy
fr
: Sfght thunderstormwith rain at time of observation
t
= Slightthunderstormwith snowat time of observation
{
: Sligtrtthunderstormwith hail at time of observation
t
: Heavythunderstormwith rain at time of observation
i
T
= Heavy thunderstorm with snow at time of observation
!
= HeaW thunderstorm with hail at time of observation
S
It will be noted that continuity of precipitation is shown by the horizontal
arrangement of the symbols while intensity is given by the vertical arrangement,
whether the precipitation is snow, rain or drizzle, i.e.
Intermittent Slight ..
| |.r
Moderate i
,
t.*
,, rrr Continuous Heavy +
AppENDrx 255
Heavy shower symbols have an extra line in the triangle, while heavy
thunderstormshavean extra bendin the lightningflash addedto the T.
Sometimes thereis no weatheroccurringat the time of theobservationfor the
meteorologicalobserver to report. Under these conditions, the weather
occurringduring the lasthour but not at the time of observationis shownby a
symbol plotted inside a half squarebracket in the normal presentweather
positionand may be decodedas:
0
g
Shower(s) of hail in the last hour
";F
Ab
v Uqa' 4. 1z7n
Testquestions
Ql. The air massaffectingstationI is probably:
(a) tropical maritime
(b) polar maritime
(c) polar continental.
Q2. For station 5 above, the present weather and visibility are:
(a) mist, 19 km
(b) fog, 190m
(c) mist, 1900m.
Q3. For station 2 above, the QFF three hours earlier would have been:
(a) 1009.1mb
(b) 1009.9mb
(c) 1013.5mb.
Q4. A front between stations I and 2 which are 100 nautical miles apart in
Scotland would be:
(a) warm front
(b) warm occlusion
(c) cold front.
Q5. If the sequenceof reports from station 5, then station 4, and then station
3 were observed, this would indicate the approach of:
(a) a cold front
(b) a warm front
(c) returning polar maritime air.
Q6. A warm front drawn on the chart between stations 2 and 3 would be
justified in that location on the basis that from station 3 to station 2:
(a) the visibility deteriorates,the broken low cloud becomescontinu-
ous and the wind veers
(b) the temperature rises, the dew point temperature rises and the
AppENDrx 257
(c) the wind veers,the dew point temperaturerisesand the falling
barometricpressurebecomessteady.
Q7. The height of the OoCisotherm at station I which is located at an
aerodromeat sealevel.is:
(a) 2000ft
(b) 3000ft
(c) 4000ft.
Q8. The cloud at station4 is:
(a) 4/8 SC base1800ft amsl,8,/8NS base9000ft amsl
(b) 4/8 SC base1800ft agl,8/8 NS base5900ft agl
(c) 4/8 SC base1800ft agl,8/8 thick AS base9000ft agl.
Q9. If station 3 is Amsterdam(EHAM) the appropriateMETAR at 0600
hoursIl-fC would be:
(a) EHAM 0ffiZ0n25KT 3000-RA BKN05OVCI5 I l/10 e10-I2
(b) EHAM 0ffiz 0202sKT3000RA BKN005OVC0l 5 t 1/10Q 1011
(c) EHAM 0&02 20f.Z1KT3000RA BKN005ovc0 I 5 I t/10e l0 I 1.
QlO. tf the TAF for HEATHROW (EGLL) is EGLL 301701lzt0l0KT 6000
RA BKNO3OBECMG I7I9 15OI5G25KTSCTOO8 BKNO12TEMPO
19233000+RA BKN005 0VC0l0 BECMG 230125020KT8000NSW
BKN020, then the wind and visibility to be expectedfor a landing at
midnight (+ t hour) are:
(a) 250'Tt20 kt, 6 krlometres
(b) 150'T/15 kt gusting to 25 kt,6 kilometres(temporarily 3000
metres),graduallybecoming250"/20kt and 8 km
(c) 150"T,215 kt, maximum 25 kt,6 kilometresgraduallybecoming
250T/20kt.8 km.
Answersto Multi-choiceTest
Questions
Chapter1:
Ql (c),Q2 (a), Q3 (b), Q4 (c),Q5 (a), Q6 (a),Q7 (b), Q8 (b), Q9 (c)' Q10(c)
Chapter2:
Ql (b), Q2 (a), Q3 (a),Q4 (c),Q5 (a),Q6 (b), Q7 (c),Q8 (b), Q9 (c)' QlO (a)
Chapter3:
Ql (c),Q2 (a),Q3 (a),Q4 (c),Qs (b), Q6 (b), Q7 (b), Q8 (c),Q9 (b), Q10(c)
Chapter4:
Ql (a),Q2 (b), Q3 (b), Q4 (c),Q5 (a),Q6 (c),Q7 (b), Q8 (b), Q9 (a),QlO (c)
Chapter5:
Ql (b), Q2 (a),Q3 (a),Q4 (c),Q5 (c),Q6 (a), Q7 (c),Q8 (a),Q9 (c)' QlO (c)
Chapter6:
Ql (c),Q2 (b), Q3 (c),Q4 (b), Qs (b), Q6 (a),Q7 (a),Q8 (a), Q9 (c)' Q10(a)
Chapter7:
Ql (c),Q2 (b), Q3 (a),Q4 (a),Q5 (a), Q6 (c),Q7 (c),Q8 (c), Q9 (a)' QlO (c)
Chapter8:
Ql (b), Q2 (b), Q3 (c),Q4 (a), Q5 (c),Q6 (c), Q7 (c),Q8 (a),Q9 (a),Q10(c)
Chapter9:
Ql (b), Q2 (c),Q3 (b), Q4 (c),Q5 (b), Q6 (b), Q7 (b), Q8 (a),Q9 (c)' QlO (c)
Chapterl0:
Ql (a),Q2 (a), Q3 (c),Q4 (c), Q5 (b), Q6 (c),Q7 (b), Q8 (a),Q9 (c),QlO (c)
Chapterll:
Ql (c),Q2 (b), Q3 (a), Q4 (a), Q5 (a),Q6 (b), Q7 (c),Q8 (c),Q9 (c)' Q10(b)
Chapter12:
Ql (b), Q2 (a), Q3 (c),Q4 (b), Q5 (c),Q6 (c),Q7 (c),Q8 (c),Q9 (c)' Q10(b)
Chapter13:
Ql (c),Q2 (c),Q3 (a),Q4 (b), Q5 (a)
Chapter14:
(b)
Ql (a),Q2 (b), Q3 (c),Q4 (a), Q5 (b), Q6 (a),Q7 (c),Q8 (a),Q9 (b)' QlO
Chapter15:
(c)
Ql (c),Q2 (c),Q3 (a), Q4 (a), Q5 (a),Q6 (b), Q7 (c),Q8 (a),Q9 (c)' QlO
Chapter16:
Ql (c),Q2 (b), Q3 (a), Q4 (c),Q5 (b)
Chapter17:
(b)
Ql (c),Q2 (c),Q3 (b), Q4 (b), Q5 (a), Q6 (c),Q7 (b), Q8 (c),Q9 (c),QlO
Appendix:
(c)
Ql (b), Q2 (c),Q3 (b), Q4 (c),Q5 (b), Q6 (c),Q7 (b), Q8 (c)' Q9 (c)' Q10
Glossaryof Abbreviations
,6;t*{A$
i{'lmi'')3
Index