Climatology of precipitation in West Africa through observational studies

The occurrence of precipitation in the Sahelian belt is highly variable and unpredictable. Incessant droughts and spasmodic flash floods cause residents to experience crop failures due to drought and subsequent famine. These unfortunate occurrences served as the motivation for this study. This research utilized the Thunderstorm Identification, Tracking, Analysis, and Nowcasting (TITAN) tool to detect and evaluate storms, summarize the precipitation regime of Mali, West Africa, and compare storm statistics of observed squall lines and Mesoscale Convective Systems (MCS) for the study period of 2006-2008. The results of this research are promising for the future of precipitation occurrence in the Sahelian region. Time series and storm distribution analysis showed that the region experienced atypical rainy seasons for the last three years, with storms in 2008 being the most intense and producing the most precipitation. The comparison of MCS and squall line statistics allowed for the preliminary designation of storm characteristics. Results showed that compared to chosen MCS cases, squall lines tend to be more intense, produce more precipitation, last longer, and have higher storm heights. Future work includes scrutinizing additional storms and storm statistics and performing model verification.