Investigating The Role of Horizontal Winds in Understanding Extreme Rainfall Events: 2018 Kerala Floods Case Study

Abstract

The devastating floods that struck the state of Kerala, India, in August 2018 underscore the urgency of accurate weather monitoring and prediction, particularly during extreme rainfall events. The present study emphasizes the critical role of wind field information in understanding convective systems and their associated weather phenomena. This paper presents a detailed investigation focused on the estimation of horizontal wind fields, leveraging C-band polarimetric Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) data at Thumba (8.5°N, 77°E), India. The research employs the Velocity Azimuth Display (VAD), a widely used single Doppler wind retrieval technique, to estimate horizontal wind profiles. The VAD results are validated against radiosonde measurements, revealing a good agreement. Furthermore, the investigation extends to the exploration of a robust 2D horizontal wind field estimation, aiming to gain deeper insights to enhance weather understanding, prediction, and disaster preparedness in regions vulnerable to extreme rainfall and flooding events. © 2023 IEEE.