Dear Authors,

Thank you for providing a point-by-point answer to both reviewers in the interactive discussion.
I ask you now to upload a revised version of your manuscript that includes all the clarifications and changes mentioned in those answering letters.

I'm looking forward this revived version

Best regards

Ricardo Trigo

Dear Authors,

We have now received the second round of comments by two experts in regional circulation patterns and precipitation. Both reviewers agree that you have made a good effort improving the overall quality of the manuscript. Nevertheless, Reviewer2 still points some issues that should be addressed before I can accept the paper. In fact I agree completely with the reviewer in the necessity to explain a bit further these points.

So please address in detail the following points put forward by reviewer2:

1) Despite the inclusion of the SST analysis, I believe that the authors should comment what other physical mechanisms can trigger the extreme rainfall. A paragraph in the conclusions discussing this with the supporting references would improve the conclusion section.

2) Figure 9 needs to be improved. The readability of the X axis is very poor.

3) Can the author comment why the use of SST and subsurface temperature at several depths (20, 50, and 80 m.b.s.l.) ??

4) Can the author comment why this occur? "The changes in the frequency of episodes are statistically correlated with sea temperatures at subsurface layers, i.e. 50 and 80 m.b.s.l. (Figure 11). The deepest level (80 m.b.s.l.) shows the strongest warming in late autumn (from October 21st to November 30th)"

5) There is the lack of physical interpretation regarding the SST statistical results. Can the authors improve this particular part of the text?

Dear Dr Lopez-Bustins,

Thank your for uploading your revised version of the manuscript and the answering letter covering the relatively minor issues that still required some improvement. It is my understanding that you've addressed them all satisfactorily. Therefore, I'm pleased to confirm that the revised version of your manuscript NHESS-2019-374 can now be accepted for publication in our journal Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences (NHESS). Please inform your co-authors of the editorial decision.

You will soon be contacted by the journal publication office for the preparation of the final version of your manuscript. Please respond promptly to the requests of the publication office, as this will condition the time of your publication, and read carefully any copy-editing recommendations that they make.

Sincerely

Ricardo Trigo