What is an MCS storm?

A Mesoscale Convective System (MCS) is a collection of thunderstorms that act as a system. An MCS can spread across an entire state and last more than 12 hours. On radar one of these monsters might appear as a solid line, a broken line, or a cluster of cells.

What are characteristics of a mesoscale convective complex?

A mesoscale convective complex (MCC) is a unique kind of mesoscale convective system which is defined by characteristics observed in infrared satellite imagery. They are long-lived, often form nocturnally, and commonly contain heavy rainfall, wind, hail, lightning, and possibly tornadoes.

How is a thunderstorm categorized?

A thunderstorm is a rain shower during which you hear thunder. Since thunder comes from lightning, all thunderstorms have lightning. A thunderstorm is classified as “severe” when it contains one or more of the following: hail one inch or greater, winds gusting in excess of 50 knots (57.5 mph), or a tornado.

What are the three types of thunderstorms?

There are three types of thunderstorms:

• single-cell (or air mass)
• multicell cluster.
• multicell (or squall line)
• supercell.

What is a MCC in weather?

MCC. Mesoscale Convective Complex. A large MCS, generally round or oval-shaped, which normally reaches peak intensity at night.

Which type of thunderstorm is the most intense?

Supercell storms. When environmental winds are favourable, the updraft and downdraft of a storm become organized and twist around and reinforce each other. The result is a long-lived supercell storm. These storms are the most intense type of thunderstorm.

Are thunderstorms mesoscale?

Thunderstorms can be hazardous enough. Sometimes they combine into a large cluster spread over multiple states. Known as mesoscale convective systems (MCS), these thunderstorm clusters are smaller than low-pressure systems with cold and warm fronts, but larger in scale than any single thunderstorm.

What is a synonym for thunderstorm?

In this page you can discover 17 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for thunderstorm, like: electric storm, squall, thunder, rainstorm, electrical storm, storm, downpour, torrential, heavy-rain, thunder-and-lightning and gust.

What is a thunderstorm complex?

A mesoscale convective system (MCS) is a complex of thunderstorms that becomes organized on a scale larger than the individual thunderstorms but smaller than extratropical cyclones, and normally persists for several hours or more.

What is the strongest thunderstorm?

supercell
The supercell is the strongest of the thunderstorms, most commonly associated with large hail, high winds, and tornado formation.