Temperature Advection at 300 hPa

26 February 2004, 18 UTC.

The distribution of the temperature advection in upper tropospere is guided here by the cyclone dissipating over Italy and Adriatic. In the region of new development between England and France there is warm advection maximum within the cloud band, and cold coming from the north behind it.

27 February 2004, 00 UTC.

Cold advection over Ireland gets stronger as well as the warm advection within the new developed cloud band.

27 February 2004, 06 UTC.

The distribution is now fitting the ideal distribution for a cyclone - there is strong warm advection within the cloud band and cold advection behind it.

27 February 2004, 12 UTC.

At this point the development in the Mediterranean starts. In the temperature advection field a strong maximum of warm advection can be seen on the eastern coast of Spain. The distribution is still connected to the cyclone that moved from the Bay of Biscay to southern France.

27 February 2004, 18 UTC.

Six hours later two maxima of warm advection can be recognized:

1. A maximum connected to the old cyclone
2. A second maximum in front of it, connected to the new developing system.

28 February 2004, 00 UTC.

The warm advection maximum is now getting much stronger. The old cyclone has undergone cyclolysis over southern France, whereas the new one, developed in the Mediterranean already has typical temperature advection distribution.

28 February 2004, 06 UTC.

Warm advection gets even stronger as the cloud band of the occlusion forms.

28 February 2004, 12 UTC.

The process continues and at this point again the typical distribution is seen: there is very strong warm advection within the cloud head and the cold advection behind it. Convective development in the cold air behind the system is also well seen.

28 February 2004, 18 UTC.

Temperature advection maxima are getting weaker. The system has reached the mature stage and is moving towards northeast.

29 February 2004, 00 UTC.

Warm advection is now much weaker, the system is dissipating.