Cold drop
Encyclopedia
The cold drop is a meteorological phenomenon that appears when a front of very cold polar air, a jet stream
, advances slowly over Western Europe, at high altitude (normally 5–9 km or 3–5.5 mi).
If a sudden cut off in the stream takes place, caused by various reasons, like the effect of the high pressures, a pocket of cold air detaches from the main jet stream, penetrating to the south over the Pyrenees
into the warm air in Spain
, causing its most dramatic effects in the Southeast of Spain, particularly along the Spanish Mediterranean coast, especially Valencian Community
This phenomenon is associated with extremely violent downpours and storms, with speeds of 100–200 km (60–120 mi)/hour, but not always accompanied by significant rainfall. For this it is necessary that the high atmospheric torrential rain instability in the lower air layers to combine with a significant amount of water vapors. Such a combination causes the masses of cold air to rapidly discharge up to 500 liters per square meter in extremely rapid rain episodes. This phenomenon usually lasts a very short time, (from a few hours to a maximum of four days) as it exhausts its water reserves without receiving a new supply.
The clouds are formed in the Atlantic Ocean. The more extreme the difference in temperature, the more water is stored in the clouds. The Cold Drop can produce snow or hail.
This way a great mass of cold air rotates and floats like a drop over a warm area.
The torrential rain caused by cold drop can result in the devastation of buildings, etc. caused by torrents and flash floods.
Jet stream
Jet streams are fast flowing, narrow air currents found in the atmospheres of some planets, including Earth. The main jet streams are located near the tropopause, the transition between the troposphere and the stratosphere . The major jet streams on Earth are westerly winds...
, advances slowly over Western Europe, at high altitude (normally 5–9 km or 3–5.5 mi).
If a sudden cut off in the stream takes place, caused by various reasons, like the effect of the high pressures, a pocket of cold air detaches from the main jet stream, penetrating to the south over the Pyrenees
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
into the warm air in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, causing its most dramatic effects in the Southeast of Spain, particularly along the Spanish Mediterranean coast, especially Valencian Community
Valencian Community
The Valencian Community is an autonomous community of Spain located in central and south-eastern Iberian Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Valencia...
This phenomenon is associated with extremely violent downpours and storms, with speeds of 100–200 km (60–120 mi)/hour, but not always accompanied by significant rainfall. For this it is necessary that the high atmospheric torrential rain instability in the lower air layers to combine with a significant amount of water vapors. Such a combination causes the masses of cold air to rapidly discharge up to 500 liters per square meter in extremely rapid rain episodes. This phenomenon usually lasts a very short time, (from a few hours to a maximum of four days) as it exhausts its water reserves without receiving a new supply.
The clouds are formed in the Atlantic Ocean. The more extreme the difference in temperature, the more water is stored in the clouds. The Cold Drop can produce snow or hail.
This way a great mass of cold air rotates and floats like a drop over a warm area.
The torrential rain caused by cold drop can result in the devastation of buildings, etc. caused by torrents and flash floods.