Ghosh et al. (2025) Change in convection and thunderstorm occurrences over the Indian subcontinent during the COVID-19 pandemic

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Identification

• Journal: Environmental Research Letters
• Year: 2025
• Date: 2025-08-06
• Authors: Rakesh Ghosh, P Vaidya, Manoj A. Domkawale, Sunil Pawar, V. Gopalakrishnan
• DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/adf863

Research Groups

Not specified in the provided text.

Short Summary

This study utilizes the 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns as a natural experiment to demonstrate that reduced anthropogenic aerosols in the Indian subcontinent increased thunderstorm frequency via radiative destabilization, while simultaneously decreasing the electrification (lightning flashes) of individual storms.

Objective

• To evaluate the impact of reduced anthropogenic aerosol emissions on convective weather phenomena, specifically thunderstorm occurrence and lightning flash rate density (FRD), across the Indian subcontinent.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Indian subcontinent, with a focus on the Indo-Gangetic Plain.
• Temporal Scale: 2020 (COVID-19 lockdown period).

Methodology and Data

• Models used: ENSO-compensation method for lightning FRD.
• Data sources: Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) and lightning flash rate density (FRD) measurements.

Main Results

• Aerosol Reduction: Significant decrease in anthropogenic aerosol emissions and AOD during the lockdown period.
• Storm Frequency: Increase in thunderstorm days (TDs) and ENSO-compensated lightning FRD.
• Radiative Mechanism: Reduced AOD led to enhanced surface heating and decreased upper-level warming, reducing atmospheric stability and favoring convective initiation.
• Electrification Mechanism: A reduction in lightning FRD per TD was observed; lower aerosol concentrations limited cloud condensation nuclei, thereby constraining non-inductive charging processes within individual storms.
• Dual Effect: Cleaner atmospheric conditions promote more frequent storm development but result in lower electrification per storm.

Contributions

The research elucidates the complex, opposing roles of aerosols in convective electrification: they act as a radiative stabilizer (inhibiting storm frequency when high) and as a microphysical catalyst for electrification (promoting lightning when high).

Funding

Not specified in the provided text.

Citation

@article{Ghosh2025Change,
  author = {Ghosh, Rakesh and Vaidya, P and Domkawale, Manoj A. and Pawar, Sunil and Gopalakrishnan, V.},
  title = {Change in convection and thunderstorm occurrences over the Indian subcontinent during the COVID-19 pandemic},
  journal = {Environmental Research Letters},
  year = {2025},
  doi = {10.1088/1748-9326/adf863},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/adf863}
}