WRF model sensitivity for simulating intense western disturbances over North West India

During winter season, large amount of precipitation is received in the Northwestern part of India due to eastward moving low pressure synoptic weather systems called western disturbances (WDs). These WD’s disturbs the life in Northern India with heavy precipitation, cold wave and fog. The objective of the present study is to examine model sensitivity of different physical parameterization schemes incorporated in the weather research and forecasting model and to identify a combination of the best physics options suited for this region during the passage of a western disturbance. Four cases of intense western disturbances 13–17 January 2002 (case-1), 5–8 February 2002 (case-2), 16–19 January 2013 (case-3) and 4–7 February 2013 (case-4) which affected the northwest India has been simulated with different physics configurations in the model. The model simulation from different physics configurations are validated with the observational datasets and error statistics are presented. It is found that, the performance of the combination of National Severe Storms Laboratory one moment, Kain–Fritsch, Yonsei University, rapid radiative transfer model and Dudhia schemes as a microphysics, cumulus, planetary boundary layer, longwave radiation and shortwave radiation parameterization schemes respectively gives a better simulation of the weather during WD’s over this region. It is found that, in all WD cases intensity and movement of the precipitation, circulation and low pressure area (geopotential height) over the region is well predicted by the model. © 2016, Springer International Publishing Switzerland.