Behavior of predicted convective clouds and precipitation in the high‐resolution Unified Model over the Indian summer monsoon region

Abstract

Abstract National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting high‐resolution regional convective‐scale Unified Model with latest tropical science settings is used to evaluate vertical structure of cloud and precipitation over two prominent monsoon regions: Western Ghats (WG) and Monsoon Core Zone (MCZ). Model radar reflectivity generated using Cloud Feedback Model Intercomparison Project Observation Simulator Package along with CloudSat profiling radar reflectivity is sampled for an active synoptic situation based on a new method using Budyko's index of turbulence (BT). Regime classification based on BT‐precipitation relationship is more predominant during the active monsoon period when convective‐scale model's resolution increases from 4 km to 1.5 km. Model predicted precipitation and vertical distribution of hydrometeors are found to be generally in agreement with Global Precipitation Measurement products and BT‐based CloudSat observation, respectively. Frequency of occurrence of radar reflectivity from model implies that the low‐level clouds below freezing level is underestimated compared to the observations over both regions. In addition, high‐level clouds in the model predictions are much lesser over WG than MCZ.