The performance of a variable‐resolution 300‐m ensemble for forecasting convection over London

Abstract When using sub‐km models to forecast convection, it is important to have a large enough domain to allow convection to fully spin‐up from the lateral boundaries. However, running large domains is computationally expensive and while it may be feasible for research purposes it is not yet feasible for routinely run models, such as the Met Office 300‐m London model. To try and mitigate the spin‐up issues in the London model, a variable‐resolution 300‐m London Model (the ‘LMV’) has been developed, which allows the boundaries of the London model to be further away from areas of interest (e.g., London Heathrow) at lower computational cost. Results from several cases of summertime convection show that the convective storms in the variable‐resolution model are more like those in a large fixed‐resolution 300‐m model than those in the much smaller London model. This implies variable resolution is a viable option for increasing the size of the London model domain without increasing the computational costs too much. Extended evaluation of the LMV was conducted during summer 2022, running as an ensemble nested inside the Met Office's operational UK ensemble (MOGREPS‐UK). Overall, the LMV looks promising for high‐impact convective events as it is better able to represent the organisation of convection into lines or larger storms whereas MOGREPS‐UK tends to simulate isolated, circular storms. This often leads to more reliable probabilities of heavy rainfall in the LMV ensemble compared to MOGREPS‐UK. However, there is an issue with the LMV producing too many small precipitating showers in situations where there should only be shallow clouds. This is thought to be a result of shallow clouds getting too deep in the model and precipitating erroneously.