Skip to content
DraconiticResearch
Search Sources API
203,948 studies31 sourcesUpdated 15 min ago
Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Atmospheric Science Letters

Mediterranean Warming Amplified the Convective Environment During the December 13, 2024 Severe Thunderstorm at Rome–Fiumicino Airport

  • Tommaso Alberti
  • Davide Faranda
Open at sourcePDFDOICite

Abstract

Extreme convective events are posing increasing challenge to aviation. On December 13, 2024, an intense thunderstorm caused severe operational disruption at Rome–Fiumicino Airport. Here we analyze the dynamic and thermodynamic conditions associated with this event using a conditional analogue‐based framework applied to ERA5 reanalysis data. We identify synoptic and mesoscale patterns similar to the one observed during the event over the satellite era (1979 to present) and compare the associated environmental conditions between a counterfactual past period (1979–2000) and a factual present one (2002–2023). While the dynamical structure of the circulation patterns remains mostly unchanged, the thermodynamic background has evolved toward warmer conditions, with increased near‐surface air and sea surface temperatures over the Mediterranean basin. These changes are accompanied by increases in precipitation, convective instability, and wind shear. Observations at Rome–Fiumicino Airport further indicate stronger wind gusts, increased dew‐point temperature and reduced visibility during analogue situations in recent decades. Our results suggest that warming background conditions may amplify the convective impacts of otherwise similar synoptic and mesoscale patterns, increasing the potential for disruptive weather affecting Mediterranean aviation hubs.

Related

  1. Characterization of thunderstorm-generated travelling ionospheric disturbances by dense GNSS sensors network over Western Europe
    T. Farges, E. Princelle, E. Astafyeva
    Frontiers in Astronomy and Space SciencesPeer-reviewedCC BY-NC-ND 4.0Full text1 citedEnvironmental science & pollutionHAL
  2. Elveslocation: A new approach for studying thunderstorm atmosphere
    S. A. Sharakin, R. E. Saraev
    arXivPreprintCC BY 4.0Full textInstrumentation & methodsPlanetary science & exoplanetsarXiv
  3. PhyTGNet: A Physics‐Prior‐Guided Interpretable Forecasting Method for Thunderstorm Gusts in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Region
    Zhaoyu Yan, Mingxuan Chen, Lu Yang +3
    Journal of Geophysical Research: Machine Learning and ComputationPeer-reviewedCC BYFull textAtmospheric science & meteorologyDOAJ
  4. Station-specific thunderstorm forecasting using climate predictors with seasonal decomposition analysis in Bangladesh’s most vulnerable regions
    Mohammad Mahboob Hussain Khan, Amrin Binte Ahmed, Adisha Dulmini +6
    PLOS OnePeer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Full textAtmospheric science & meteorologyGeophysics & seismologyPLOS
  5. Amplified transport variability in granular slope flows near the critical angle
    Fumiaki Nakai, Yuto Sasaki
    arXivPreprintarXiv licenceFull textGeophysics & seismologyCondensed matterarXiv

Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{alberti2026mediterranean,
  title = {{Mediterranean Warming Amplified the Convective Environment During the December 13, 2024 Severe Thunderstorm at Rome–Fiumicino Airport}},
  author = {Tommaso Alberti and Davide Faranda},
  journal = {Atmospheric Science Letters},
  year = {2026},
  month = aug,
  doi = {10.1002/asl2.70060},
  url = {https://hal.science/hal-05733709v1},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Mediterranean Warming Amplified the Convective Environment During the December 13, 2024 Severe Thunderstorm at Rome–Fiumicino Airport
AU  - Tommaso Alberti
AU  - Davide Faranda
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/31
JO  - Atmospheric Science Letters
DO  - 10.1002/asl2.70060
UR  - https://hal.science/hal-05733709v1
AB  - Extreme convective events are posing increasing challenge to aviation. On December 13, 2024, an intense thunderstorm caused severe operational disruption at Rome–Fiumicino Airport. Here we analyze the dynamic and thermodynamic conditions associated with this event using a conditional analogue‐based framework applied to ERA5 reanalysis data. We identify synoptic and mesoscale patterns similar to the one observed during the event over the satellite era (1979 to present) and compare the associated environmental conditions between a counterfactual past period (1979–2000) and a factual present one (2002–2023). While the dynamical structure of the circulation patterns remains mostly unchanged, the thermodynamic background has evolved toward warmer conditions, with increased near‐surface air and sea surface temperatures over the Mediterranean basin. These changes are accompanied by increases in precipitation, convective instability, and wind shear. Observations at Rome–Fiumicino Airport further indicate stronger wind gusts, increased dew‐point temperature and reduced visibility during analogue situations in recent decades. Our results suggest that warming background conditions may amplify the convective impacts of otherwise similar synoptic and mesoscale patterns, increasing the potential for disruptive weather affecting Mediterranean aviation hubs.
SN  - 1530-261X
SN  - 1530-261X
ER  -