Climate

Reanalysis suggests long-term upward trends in European storminess since 1871

  1. M. G. Donat1,2,
  2. D. Renggli2,3,
  3. S. Wild2,
  4. L. V. Alexander1,
  5. G. C. Leckebusch2,4,
  6. U. Ulbrich2

Article first published online: 26 JUL 2011

DOI: 10.1029/2011GL047995

Issue

Geophysical Research Letters

Geophysical Research Letters

Additional Information

How to Cite

Donat, M. G., D. Renggli, S. Wild, L. V. Alexander, G. C. Leckebusch, and U. Ulbrich (2011), Reanalysis suggests long-term upward trends in European storminess since 1871, Geophys. Res. Lett., 38, L14703, doi:10.1029/2011GL047995.

Author Information

  1. 1

    Climate Change Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

  2. 2

    Institute of Meteorology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany

  3. 3

    Swiss Reinsurance Company, Zurich, Switzerland

  4. 4

    School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 26 JUL 2011
  2. Article first published online: 26 JUL 2011
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 11 JUN 2011
  4. Manuscript Revised: 10 JUN 2011
  5. Manuscript Received: 2 MAY 2011

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Keywords:

  • climate change;
  • extra-tropical cyclones;
  • reanalysis;
  • wind storm

[1] Regional trends of wind storm occurrence in Europe are investigated using the 20th Century Reanalysis (20CR). While based on surface observations only, this dataset produces storm events in good agreement with the traditional ERA40 and NCEP reanalyses. Time series display decadal-scale variability in the occurrence of wind storms since 1871, including a period of enhanced storm activity during the early 20th century. Still, significant upward trends are found in central, northern and western Europe, related to unprecedented high values of the storminess measures towards the end of the 20th century, particularly in the North Sea and Baltic Sea regions.

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