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Birth of the Biscane
Author(s) -
MaierGerber Michael,
Pantillon Florian,
Di Muzio Enrico,
Riemer Michael,
Fink Andreas H.,
Knippertz Peter
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
weather
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.467
H-Index - 40
eISSN - 1477-8696
pISSN - 0043-1656
DOI - 10.1002/wea.2995
Subject(s) - storm , climatology , buoy , tropical cyclone , bay , meteorology , geology , oceanography , environmental science , geography
This paper describes the unprecedented storm Stephanie , which exhibited tropical characteristics over the Bay of Biscay on 15 September 2016. Remote sensing observations reveal a cloud‐free area surrounded by a circular precipitation pattern and an axisymmetric wind field, while buoy observations show an abrupt drop in wind speed during the passage of the storm centre. Model analysis further corroborates an ongoing tropical transition from a frontal cold‐core to a symmetric warm‐core system. By analogy with ‘Medicanes’ (Mediterranean hurricanes), we name this storm a ‘Biscane’ (Biscay hurricane). Weather systems of this kind may become more frequent in a warmer climate.