Forecasting severe windgusts in belgian thunderstorms

Severe thunderstorms are common phenomena in many European countries, leading to a total damage estimation of five to eight billion euros per year [1]. It is well known that the US is experiencing even more frequent and dangerous severe storms, mainly due to a different geography, causing important differences in instability (i.e., the ascent of moist air) and wind shear, two key ingredients of severe thunderstorms. Although creating a worldwide severe thunderstorm database is difficult due to a lack of reliable observations or different reporting methods, model-based reanalyses of severe weather patterns suggest favorable environments for tornadic storms on all continents [2].