Relationship between lightning and model simulated microphysical parameters over the central and eastern Mediterranean

Abstract. In this study the relationship between lightning and simulated microphysical parameters of clouds, is examined. In order to investigate such a relationship, a number of cases with significant lightning activity that occurred during the wet period of the year over the central and eastern Mediterranean have been selected, based on the lightning activity reported by the ZEUS lighting detection network, operated by the National Observatory of Athens. For the same cases, simulations with the non-hydrostatic MM5 model were performed with the aim of reproducing the dynamical and microphysical parameters associated with the weather systems that produced lightning. The analysis showed that the temporal distribution of convective rainfall is not well correlated with that of lightning, while on the contrary, the temporal distribution of the simulated concentrations of solid hydrometeors correlates well with lightning and there is also a general coincidence of their maxima. Further, it was shown that the best correlation was found during the development stage of the storms, while during the decay phase the number of lightning decreases much faster that the simulated concentrations of solid hydrometeors.