Seasonal Variability of Precipitating Systems in Four Radar Domains of Northeast Brazil

ABSTRACT This study investigates the characteristics and evaluates how the physical aspects of precipitating systems are influenced by the dry and wet seasons in Northeast Brazil. The long‐term average was defined based on the MERGE product, considering the period from 2001 to 2022, and the anomalous accumulation methodology was applied. Precipitating systems were tracked within the radar coverage areas of Natal—RN, Maceió—AL, Petrolina—PE, and Salvador—BA using the Tracking and Analysis of Thunderstorms (TATHU) algorithm. Physical attributes analysed included area, area expansion, maximum reflectivity, and duration. The regions of Natal, Maceió, and Petrolina appear to have well‐defined wet season periods while the Salvador region shows no signs of clearly defined wet season. Overall, precipitating systems are more frequent, larger, and develop faster in the wet season due to increased moisture and atmospheric instability, whereas they dissipate more quickly in the dry season. In Natal and Maceió, systems are more intense during the dry season. In contrast, in Petrolina and Salvador, systems exhibit higher maximum reflectivity values during the wet season. These patterns confirm the seasonal variation of convection. In both seasons, the systems are short‐lived, with low frequencies for durations longer than 80 min, suggesting that they form, peak, and dissipate quickly.