Climatology of Thunderstorms at Three Airports in Vietnam: Thermodynamic Indices and Atmospheric Parameters

Thunderstorm events at three major airports in Vietnam, including Noi Bai, Da Nang, and Tan Son Nhat, during the period 2007-2023 were characterized based on aviation report data. The results show that Tan Son Nhat, Noi Bai, and Da Nang airports have an average of 199, 110, and 81 thunderstorms/year, respectively. The thunderstorm season lasts from May-September at Noi Bai (accounting for 80%), April-September at Da Nang (accounting for 85%), and May-October at Tan Son Nhat (accounting for 75%) airport. Regarding the time of occurrence, thunderstorms at Noi Bai airport are scattered throughout the day, while at Da Nang and Tan Son Nhat airport, they are concentrated in the afternoon and evening. Thermodynamic indices and atmospheric parameters from sounding data at radiosonde stations near the airports were also analyzed to determine favorable environmental conditions for thunderstorms. Comparison of RSS skill scores shows that precipitable water (PW) and K index are good predictors of thunderstorms at all three airports. The study also identified the ranges of these thermodynamic indices and atmospheric parameters in thunderstorm environments at each airport. For example, 80% of thunderstorms at Noi Bai, Da Nang, and Tan Son Nhat airports occur when PW is in the range of 53.8-72.1, 52.3-68.0, and 52.1-65.2 mm, respectively.