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African Storms

Posted: Thu May 29, 2008 9:31 am
by mesocyclone
I was wondering why African storms diminish when they get over to the Atlantic Ocean it seems they would do the opposite.
Is this because the temperature over the ocean is cooler than the land and in the middle of the summer they have a tendency to stay together because the temperature over the water has risen?

Re: African Storms

Posted: Thu May 29, 2008 1:50 pm
by Ed Mahmoud
Not a professional answer- but I had the impression, early season, land heats up quicker than ocean, so winds from East push warm continental air above the surface over the ocean, where the cooler temps have reduced the near surface temperatures, forming something of a cap, or inversion. As the water starts to warm in relation to the Continent, the magnitude of the inversion lessens to the point where surface based parcels can rise and keep the storms going.


BTW, close to -80ÂșC cloud tops on the latest bomb moving off Africa. It is already offshore, maybe it has enough forcing to keep going, although it seems far too early for a CV type system.