The combined use of both radiosonde data and three-dimensional satellite derived data over ocean and land is useful for a better understanding of atmospheric thermodynamics. Here, an attempt is made to study the thermodynamic structure of convective atmosphere during pre-monsoon season over southwest peninsular India utilizing satellite derived data and radiosonde data. The stability indices were computed for the selected stations over southwest peninsular India viz: Thiruvananthapuram and Cochin, using the radiosonde data for five premonsoon seasons. The stability indices studied for the region are Showalter Index (SI), K Index (KI), Lifted Index (LI), Total Totals Index (TTI), Humidity Index (HI), Deep Convective Index (DCI) and thermodynamic parameters such as Convective Available Potential Energy (CAPE) and Convective Inhibition Energy (CINE). The traditional Showalter Index has been modified to incorporate the thermodynamics over tropical region. MODIS data over South Peninsular India are also used for the study. When there is a convective system over south peninsular India, the value of LI over the region is less than ?4. On the other hand, the region where LI is more than 2 is comparatively stable without any convection. Similarly, when KI values are in the range 35 to 40, there is a possibility for convection. The threshold value for TTI is found to be between 50 and 55. Further, we found that prior to convection, dry bulb temperature at 1000, 850, 700 and 500 hPa is minimum and the dew point temperature is a maximum, which leads to increase in relative humidity. The total column water vapor is maximum in the convective region and minimum in the stable region. The threshold values for the different stability indices are found to agree with that reported in literature.
H. Huntrieser, H. H. Schiesser, W. Schmid and A. Waldvogel, “Comparison of Traditional and Newly Developed Thunderstorm Indices for Switzerland,” Weather Forecasting, Vol. 12, No. 1, 1997, pp. 108-125. http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/1520-0434(1997)012 2.0.CO;2
P. Schultz, “Relationships of Several Stability Indices to Convective Weather Events in Northeast Colorado,” Weather Forecasting, Vol. 4, No. 1, 1989, pp. 73-80. http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/1520-0434 (1989)004 2.0.CO;2
H. E. Fuelberg and D. G. Biggar, “The Pre-Convective Environment of Summer Thunderstorms over the Flororida Panhandle,” Wether Forecasting, Vol. 9, No. 3, 1994, pp. 316-326. http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/1520-0434(1994)009 2.0.CO;2
C. P. Jacovides and T. Yonctani, “An Evaluation of Stability Indices for Thunderstorm Prediction in Greater Cyprus,” Wether Forcasting, Vol. 5, No. 4, 1990, pp. 559-569. http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/1520-0434(1990)005 2.0.CO;2
R. A. Peppier, “A Review of Static Stability Indices and Related Thermodynamic Parameters,” SWS Miscellaneous Publication, 1988, p. 104
A. K. Showalter, “A Stability Index for Thunderstorm Forecasting,” Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, Vol. 34, No. 6, 1953, pp. 250-252.
J. G. Galway, “The Lifted Index as a Predictor of Latent Instability,” Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, Vol. 37, 1956, pp. 528-529.
J. G. George, “Weather Forecasting for Aeronautics,” Academic Press, 1960, p. 673.
R. C. Miller, “Notes on Analysis and Severe Storm Forecasting Procedures of the Air Force Global Weather Central,” Tech. Report 200 (Revised), AWS, 1972, USAF. [Headquarters, AWS, Scott AFB, IL 62225].
M. W. Moncrieff and J. S. A. Green, “The Propagation of Steady Convective Overturning in Shear,” Quarternary Journal of Roal Meteorological Society, Vol. 98, 1972, pp. 336-352.
M. Kunz, “The Skill of Convective Parameters and Indices to Predict Isolated and Severe Thunderstorms,” Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, Vol. 7, 2007, pp. 327-342. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/nhess-7-327-2007
K. N. Rao and P. K. Raman, “Frequency of Days of Thunder in India,” Indian Journal of Meteorology and Geophysics, Vol. 1, 1961, pp. 103-108.
A. Tyagi, “Thunderstorm Climatology over Indian Region,” Mausam, Vol. 58, No. 2, 2007, pp. 189-212.
P. Koteswaram and V. Srinivasan, “Thunderstorms over Gangetic West Bengal in the Pre-Monsoon Season and the Synoptic Factors Favorable for Their Formation,” Indian Journal of Meteorology and Geophysics, Vol. 10, 1958, pp. 301-312.
S. N. Sen and S. C. Basu, “Pre-Monsoon Thunderstorm in Assam and Synoptic Conditions Favourable for Their Occurrence,” Mausam, Vol. 12, No. 1, 1961, pp. 15-20.
A. K. Choudhury, “Pre-Monsoon Thunderstorm in Assam, Tripura and Manipur,” Indian Journal of Meteorology and Geophysics, Vol. 12, 1961, pp. 319-321.
P. Mukhopadhyay, J. Sanjay and S. S. Singh, “Objective Forecast of Thundery/Non-Thundery Days Using Conventional Indices over Three Northeast Indian Stations,” Mausam, Vol. 16, No. 4, 2003, pp. 867-880.
S. Karmakar and M. Alam, “Instability of the Troposphere Associated with Thunderstorms/ Nor’westers over Bangladesh during the Pre-Monsoon Season,” Mausam, Vol. 57, No. 4, 2006, pp. 629-628.
S. Kumar, “An Objective Method of Forecasting Premonsoon Thunderstorm/Duststorm over Delhi and Neighborhood,” Indian Journal of Meteorology and Geophysics, Vol. 23, 1972, pp. 45-50.
A. Lal, “Forecasting of Thunderstorm around Delhi and Jodhpur,” Mausam, Vol. 40, 1989, pp. 267-268.
R. Lal, “Forecasting of Severe Convective Activity over Lucknow in Premonsoon Season,” Mausam, Vol. 41, 1990, pp. 455-458.
B. Tyagi, V. Naresh Krishna and A. N. V. Satyanarayana, “Study of Thermodynamic Indices in Forecasting Pre-Monsoon Thunderstorms over Kolkata during STORM Pilot Phase 2006-2008,” Natural Hazards, Vol. 56, No. 3, 2011, pp. 681-698, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11069-010-9582-x
A. J. Litta and U. C. Mohanty, “Simulation of a Severe Thunderstorm Event during the Field Experiment of STORM Programme 2006 Using WRF-NMM Model,” Current Science, Vol. 95, No. 2, 2008, pp. 204-215.
P. R. Jayakrishnan and C. A. Babu, “Variations of Surface Boundary Layer Parameters Associated with Cyclone Gonu over the Arabian Sea Using QuikSCAT Data,” International Journal of Remote Sensing, Vol. 34, No. 7, 2013, pp. 2417-2431.
P. R. Jayakrishnan and C. A. Babu, “Study of the Oceanic Heat Budget Components over the Arabian Sea during the Formation and Evolution of Super Cyclone, Gonu,” Atmospheric and Climate Sciences, Vol. 3, No. 3, 2013, pp. 282-290.
E. Tudurí and C. Ramis, “On the Environments of Severe Weather in the Western Mediterranean,” Weather Forecasting, 1997, p. 11.
C. A. Babu, “Evaluation of Thermodynamic Parameters of the Atmosphere by a Fortran Program,” Computers & Geosciences, Vol. 22, No. 8, 1996, pp. 877-881. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0098-3004(96)00044-1
R. A. Anthes, “Numerical Prediction of Severe Storms— Certainty, Possibility, or Dream,” Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, Vol. 57, 1976, pp. 423-435.
C. J. Neumann, “The Thunderstorm Forecasting System at the Kennedy Space Center,” Journal of Applied Meteorology, Vol. 10, No. 5, 1971, pp. 921-936. http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/1520-0450(1971) 010 2.0.CO;2
K. P. R. Rao, “Thunderstorm Studies in India—A Review,” Indian Journal of Meteorology and Geophysics, Vol. 12, 1966, p. 3.
K. N. Rao, C. E. J. Daniel and L. V. Balasubramanian, “Thunderstorms over India,” IMD Pre-published Scientific Report No. 153, 1971.
Z. Litynska, J. Parfiniewicz and H. Pinkowski, “The Prediction of Airmass Thunderstorms and Hails,” W.M.O. Bull, Vol. 450, 1976, pp. 128-130.
W. R. Barlow, “A New Index for the Prediction of Deep Convection, Preprints,” 17th Conference on Severe Local Storms, St. Louis, Amer. Meteor. Soc, 1993, pp. 129-132.
R. C. Miller, “Notes on Analysis and Severe Storm Forecasting Procedures of the Military Weather Warning Center,” AWS Tech. Rep. 200, USAF, 1967, 170 pp. [Available from Headquarters, AWS, Scott AFB, IL 62225].
R. C. Miller, “Notes on Analysis and Severe Storm Forecasting Procedures of the Air Force Global Weather Central,” Tech. Report 200 (Revised to include CHANGE 1), AWS, 1975, USAF [Headquarters, AWS, Scott AFB, IL 62225].
C. L. David and J. S. Smith, “An Evaluation of Seven Stability Indices as Predictors of Severe Thunderstorms and Tornadoes,” Seventh Conference Severe Local Storms, Kansas City, American Meteorological Society, 1971, pp. 105-109.