An extreme rainfall event registered in the city of Salvador, Bahia, is investigated in this work. Observational surface and upper air data, gridpoint data, meteorological satellite images and disasters information provided by the Civil Defense of Salvador (CODESAL) were used in the analysis. During the period from midnight to 3 A.M. on 12 June 2006 51 mm accumulated rainfall was registered. A high number of disasters were registered by CODESAL, particularly landslides. Weak winds throughout the troposphere and maximum convective available potential energy of 3,233 J kg-1 were identified in Salvador on June 11th, fifteen hours before the heavy rainfall. Areas of deep convection characterized this event, favored by a wave that reached the eastern coast of Northeast Brazil after moving westward over the South Atlantic with an estimated phase speed of 10 m s-1, as seen on the meridional wind component field at the 700 hPa level and on meteorological satellite images.
extreme event; urban area; convective available potential energy; Northeast Brazil
