The WIND RISK Project: nowcast and simulation of thunderstorm outflows

WIND RISK is a research project dealing with measurement and modelling of wind fields within thunderstorm cumulonimbus clouds and outflows at the ground (i.e., downbursts and gust fronts). The general objective of the project is to advance the knowledge about the processes occurring inside thunderstorm clouds responsible for strong outflows, and the identification of the environmental (synoptic and meso-scale) conditions favourable to their development. The area under investigation is Northwestern Italy and the Ligurian Sea, which are among the most exposed regions to strong thunderstorms in Europe. Two measurement campaigns using Doppler weather radars and remote-sensing ground-based anemometry, and ad-hoc simulations using the WRF model are carried out to build a database of thunderstorm wind fields with special focus on downdraft and downburst characterization. All measurements and simulations are shared within the scientific community after the end of the project through datasets published on open access platforms.