Understanding Thunderstorms Can Save Many Lives


Researchers stated that there is a way to understand the dangerous phenomenon of wildfires better, and it could help in triggering supercell thunderstorms. This could reduce the risk. There’s a thunderstorm that was generated by a New South Wales wildfire, which got to the height of 12.7 kilometers.

Professor Hamish McGowan stated that the fire‐generated thunderstorm happens to have a large core of rotating winds, a thing that suggests that it has been created into a supercell thunderstorm.

This thunderstorm is one of the most dangerous ones, and they are associated with damaging winds, lightning, and large hail. This kind of storm, close to a severe fire, can be a risk for firefighters and residents from the affected area. The capacity to forecast such a risk can make a difference.

Understanding thunderstorms can protect us from wildfires

The Sir Ivan Dougherty wildfire had an impact over 55,000 hectares of land back in February 2017, in New South Wales. The conditions were extreme, and it was also affected by the passage of a cold front over the wildfire.

The cold front’s increase in atmospheric moisture, together with the changes in fire behavior, can trigger the wildfire thunderstorm. The extreme weather was predicted to happen due to climate change, so the team’s findings showed the importance of combining weather radar and meteorological observations.

This way, they got essential details about the phenomenon. All of these details are essential, and they are all helping us in better building an understanding when it comes to wildfire events, which could also help improve the fire predictions.

Researchers used weather radar in order to investigate the dynamics of the heat, burning debris, and smoke, which are known as pyrometers. These observations are supported by a wide range of data from weather stations, weather satellites, and balloons.