Supercélulas, granizo grande y tornados en España

Abstract

Supercell storms, often associated with severe weather conditions like tornadoes, hail, strong winds, and heavy precipitation, have a significant socioeconomic impact. In Spain, the lack of open-data availability has hindered their analysis. Collaborative efforts have created a database covering supercell events from January 2011 to December 2021, identifying 2087 storms, with citizen collaboration. The data show high supercell activity in eastern Spain, particularly in the Mediterranean and northeastern regions. Analyses of synoptic configurations and pre-convective environments have been conducted for supercells with hail ≥ 5 cm and without hail (< 5 cm) during 2011-2020, revealing that most hail-bearing supercells develop in eastern Spain, mainly in July and August, with stronger convective environments compared to non-hail supercells. From 2022, only high socioeconomic impact supercells (large hail ≥ 5 cm and tornadoes) have been recorded. The trend suggests a significant increase in hail events in Spain, possibly linked to anthropogenic climate change.