Preliminary Analysis of the Prevailing Atmospheric Conditions Related to Strong Winds Events that Caused Impacts in Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil

Abstract

This paper describes several meteorological features associated with the occurrence of strong winds events that caused impacts in Mato Grosso do Sul (MS) based on newspaper’s notices on meteorological events that occurred in MS during the 1954 to 2004 period. 175 cases of winds damage were classified using the Belfort’s scale and the list of corresponding impacts proposed by Blessmann. Damage and fall of power transmission line tower or phone tower’s transmission line towers were observed and 14 episodes were analyzed considering the season of the year and period of the day. A preliminary classification of the prevailing atmospheric conditions is proposed and the impacts of the transmission of electric energy in MS are discussed. This preliminary study suggests that the winds episodes analyzed, although frequent, probably do not represent extreme atmospheric events but only favorable conditions of convective activity generated by the association of several factors not very important when separately considered, but of significant importance if considered as a whole. Key words: Climatic impact. Mesoscale convective complex. Vulnerability.