Proceedings Article | 13 September 2024
KEYWORDS: Rain, Radar, Reflectivity, Meteorology, Visibility, Environmental monitoring, Equipment, Calibration, Atmospheric modeling, Weather forecasting
On September 6, 2023, during the afternoon and night hours, Athens experienced a severe storm, identified by OTT Parsivel disdrometer providing crucial insights into its hydrometeorological characteristics. This advanced disdrometer employs a laser extinction method to capture both the size and velocity of falling particles, classifying them into 32 distinct size and velocity categories. The wealth of raw data generated enabled comprehensive calculations of various parameters crucial for understanding the storm's behavior, including precipitation type, amount, intensity, and kinetic energy, as well as evaluating visibility during precipitation and the critical equivalent radar reflectivity. The raindrop size distributions derived by the droplets velocity against their diameter indicated that the storm was accompanied by large droplets (the range of drop diameters varied from 0.3 mm to 6.0 mm) and high-velocity winds, exacerbating its destructive potential. Equivalent radar reflectivity, in particular, emerged as a vital metric, reaching an alarming 53 dBz during the storm, indicative of the presence of hail. This observation underscores the significance of monitoring reflectivity levels in assessing the severity and potential hazards associated with precipitation events. Combined with the Parsivel data, pluviometer measurements corroborated the rapid accumulation of rainfall, leading to flash floods and extensive infrastructure damage. The aftermath of the storm affected the city of Athens, disrupting transportation networks, causing power outages, and leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. Understanding the dynamics of such extreme weather events, by harnessing advanced monitoring technologies like the OTT Parsivel disdrometer and pluviometer datasets is paramount for bolstering urban resilience and safeguarding communities.
