Case study 01 presentation

1st to 10th August 2012

"Train of AEWs with Breaking"

Authors: Nicolas Chapelon (CISMF, Météo France) and Jean Philippe Lafore (CNRM, Météo France and CNRS)
Contributors: Emmanuel Poan (CNRM), Doug Parker (Leeds University), Ousmane Ndiaye (ANACIM)

This case study illustrates the life cycle, structure and passage over West Africa of a train of African Easterly Waves (AEWs) during the 1st to 10th August 2012 period, It resulted in a breaking of the AEJ that occurred on 7 August, It illustrates the six favourable factors for the "breaking" presented in Chapter 2 of the Handbook, in particular the interactions within the train of AEWs and the forcing by the equatorial band.

The drawing of the corresponding WASAs has been largely detailed in Chapter 11 of the Handbook to illustrate the forecaster guide of the WASA-F method.