GENESIS, FREQUENCY AND INTENSITY OF HAIL PRECIPITATION IN THE CENTRAL-WESTERN AND SOUTHEAST OF THE PARANÁ STATE, BRAZIL

Abstract

Hail precipitation, an extreme event characterized by solid state water precipitation, has high destructive capacity in rural and urban environments, generating frequent disturbances and losses. The Central-Western Paraná state Meso-region (MRCOP) and The Southeast Paraná state Meso-region (MRSEP) in southern Brazil has a large agricultural production area and approximately 900 thousand inhabitants, which may be vulnerable to extreme weather events, and studies are needed to assist in decision making in these regions. This work aimed to identify the genesis, frequency and intensity of hail precipitation in The Central-Western Paraná state Meso-region (MRCOP) and The Southeast Paraná state Meso-region (MRSEP), providing support for the planning and adoption of preventive measures to combat the impact of this phenomenon. Three different sources of data were used: agrometeorological stations, satellite images and reports of occurrences, damages and emergency situations issued by the Civil Defense. Thirty-seven emergency decrees related to hail and 372 thousand people affected in the regions were identified in 19 years of analysis. The convective systems and the cold fronts were identified as the main meteorological systems working in the genesis of hail in these regions. In the absence of planning for vulnerability reduction, exposure to extreme weather events remains frequent.