Radio sounding data

23 June 2007 00 UTC

The image shows the data from the radio sounding measurement in Zadar on 23 June 2007 at 00 UTC. Around that time a big convective cell developed nearby, over the north Adriatic, induced by orography. Tropopause is seen at approximately -50°C at about 11 km height. Very strong wind, especially above 3 km, shows south-westerly direction. Wind shear was present in the lower troposphere, as well as the veering of the wind in the first 800 m above the ground. These characteristics are favourable for convective development.
A lot of stability indices show quite a big risk for severe convection. For example, Showalter index (SHOW) lower then 0 indicates that there is quite large possibility for thunderstorms. Lifted index (LIFT) shows also negative values - the more negative the number, the more unstable the air is. And CAPE, which is a measure of the amount of energy available for convection is also very high (the higher the values, the greater the potential for severe weather).
The values of stability indices are presented in the right part of the images, and more about some of them you can find in the chapter "Basics" in the “Manual of Synoptic Satellite Meteorology