Contrasting tropical cyclone and non-tropical cyclone related rainfall drop size distribution at Darwin, Australia

In this study the rainfall drop size distribution (DSD) during the passage of seven tropical cyclones (TCs) over Darwin is compared and contrasted with that associated with non-tropical cyclone (non-TC) events, using the impact disdrometer data at the Darwin Atmospheric Radiation and Measurement (ARM) site. The disparity of the DSD with respect to rainfall types (between TC and non-TC conditions) and distance from TC centre is also examined. It is shown that TC DSDs are statistically different from the non-TC DSDs, the former encompassing a larger concentration of small to moderate drop sizes. The TC mass-weighted mean diameter (Dm) is lower than the non-TC values at all rain rates and also for the different precipitation types (convective, transition and stratiform). The TC DSD varies with distance from the TC centre, as rainfall near the TC centre (<60km) comprises of relatively smaller drops which are strongly evident at small to moderate rain rates (<30mmh−1). Such variations in the DSD have implications for the parameters used in the algorithm that converts radar reflectivity to rainfall rate in TCs, as well as for the analytical expressions used in describing the observed DSD employed in cloud modelling parameterizations.