A diagnostic analysis of the Río de la Plata Superstorm, May 2000

Abstract

On 16 May 2000, a low pressure system produced very intense winds over the Río de la Plata (RP) river, giving rise to floods within the region. In order to study this event, the synoptic evolution of the cyclone of 14-17 May 2000 is documented using conventional observations and the NCEP analysed data sets. The synoptic-dynamic overview reveals that the system starts as a usual cyclogenesis on the Chilean coast. The low level cyclone favours a convectively unstable environment within the central Argentinean region triggering convective storms and, consequently, a large amount of latent-heat release. The latent heat and the vorticity advection both play an important role in determining the depth of the system and its movement. Another unusual feature of this event is the north-eastward displacement of the cyclone, which is attributed to the interaction with other low-pressure systems located in the South Atlantic Ocean.