Climatology and Impact Assessment of Severe Wind-Producing Convective Storms in Romania (2003–2024)

Severe wind-producing convective storms pose significant risks to human activities and critical sectors such as aviation safety, infrastructure, transportation, energy, the economy and agriculture. This study aims to investigate the occurrence of convective storms associated with intense straight-line winds and to evaluate their impacts. In light of the increasing frequency of such reports over the past two decades and the growing global scientific interest in extreme weather phenomena, this type of research is particularly important for Romania. Currently, there is a lack of comprehensive and up-to-date analyses focused on convective windstorms within Romania. A primary objective of this research is to develop a climatology of convective storms producing severe winds in Romania to enhance the current understanding of their spatial and temporal distribution and the environmental conditions in which they occur. Severe wind reports from the European Severe Weather Database, along with data from the Wind Damage Catalogue 2013–2022 (Calotescu, 2023), were compiled for the April–October period spanning 2003 to 2024. These data were utilized to perform a comprehensive temporal and spatial analysis of severe convective wind events. A total of 2,242 reports were analyzed. The spatial distribution of severe wind-producing convective storms indicates several high-density clusters, with the highest frequency in southern and southwestern Romania. A marked increase in annual reports is observed, from 5 in 2003 to 369 in 2024, with a peak of 823 events in 2023. The monthly distribution closely mirrors previous pan-European studies, confirming that Romania’s convective season predominantly spans April to October, with peak activity in June (695 reports) and July (696 reports). For the diurnal distribution, only reports with a time accuracy better than or equal to 2 hours were considered, revealing a maximum occurrence between 14:00 and 16:00 UTC. Additionally, ERA5 reanalysis data were used to examine the environmental conditions associated with these events, both prior to and following their occurrence. These results provide the first comprehensive climatological assessment of severe wind-producing convective storms in Romania, revealing an increasing frequency, marked spatial variability, and a clear seasonal pattern. Given the significant impacts of these storms on critical sectors, the findings are essential for improving early warning systems, supporting operational forecasting, and guiding risk mitigation strategies. This research addresses a major knowledge gap and sets the stage for further investigations and practical applications in a previously underexplored area.