Forecasting Thunder-Storms in the Red Sea

Forecasting thunderstorms in the Red Sea is an outstanding meteorological problem of low latitudes. This is notably the case in the central and southern regions of the Sea, where the frequency, duration and intensity of these storms attain their maxima. It has been shown that in general thundery conditions in this Sea arise from convergence processes such as the setting up of centers of convergence or the development of upper-air cyclones. Centers of convergence are set up by troughs in the upper westerlies or troughs in the upper NE-E current of the Sudan, and are usually followed by cyclonic developments. It has eventually been made clear that the upper winds (and not the usual pressure map) hold the clue to much of the weather in these fairly low latitudes.