Atmospheric Blocking and Weather Extremes over the Euro-Atlantic Sector - A Review

Kautz, Lisa-Ann; Martius, Olivia; Pfahl, Stephan; Pinto, Joaquim G.; Ramos, Alexandre M.; Woollings, Tim (2021). Atmospheric Blocking and Weather Extremes over the Euro-Atlantic Sector - A Review (Submitted). Weather and climate dynamics, pp. 305-336. Copernicus Publications 10.5194/wcd-2021-56

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The physical understanding and timely prediction of extreme weather events are of enormous importance to society regarding associated impacts. In this article, we highlight several types of weather extremes occurring in Europe in connection
with a particular atmospheric flow pattern, known as atmospheric blocking. This flow pattern effectively blocks the prevailing westerly large-scale atmospheric flow, resulting in changing flow anomalies in the vicinity of the blocking system and persistent conditions in the immediate region of its occurrence. Blockings are long-lasting, quasi-stationary, self-sustaining systems that occur frequently over certain regions. Their presence and characteristics have an impact on the predictability of weather extremes and can thus be used as potential indicators. The phasing between the surface and the upper-level blocking anomalies
is of major importance for the development of the extreme event. In summer, heat waves and droughts form below the blocking anticyclone primarily via large-scale subsidence that leads to cloud-free skies and thus, persistent longwave radiative warming of the ground. In winter, cold waves that occur during atmospheric blocking are normally observed downstream or south of these systems. Here, horizontal advection of cold air masses from higher latitudes plays a decisive role. Extreme snowfall can also occur with the lower temperatures, indicating a shift of the storm track due to the blocking system. Such a shift is
also crucial in the connection of blocking with wind and precipitation anomalies in general. Due to this multifaceted linkages, compound events are often observed in conjunction with blocking conditions.

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