Lightning and precipitation relationship in summer thunderstorms: Case studies in the North Western Mediterranean region

This study analyzes the relationship between lightning and precipitation in nine convective events. They occurred during the summer season of 2004 in Catalonia (NE Spain) and its coastal area, in the North Western Mediterranean Sea. The data examined were issued from C-band volumetric radar observations, from radiosoundings, and total lightning detection records, including both cloud-to-ground (CG) and intra-cloud flashes. The overall Rainfall-Lightning Ratio (RLR) found was 38.9 10(3) m(3) /CG flash, which is a value closer to those found in the Southeastern United States than in the Atlantic coast of France. Moreover, the range of variation found in the studied episodes goes from 10.8 to 87.2 10(3) m(3) /CG flash. These variations are analyzed in terms of the synoptic conditions of the events and regarding their spatial distribution, comparing land and sea domains. (C) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.