Meteosat-8 composite WV6.2-WV7.3; IR9.7-IR10.8; WV6.2i µm (Airmass RGB)

10 March 2006, 02 UTC

For better understanding of the colours in this satellite images you can click the RGB key.

Several important features can be seen during the early stage of the cold front development illustrated in this image. Over the northern Africa and most of the Mediterranean there is warm air, whereas the northern part of Europe is covered by cold air. The reddish colour near the frontal cloudiness reveals dry stratospheric air. This can be seen at the rear side of the cold front and on the left side of the frontal system approaching western Europe. A bright cloud bulge, which is the first wave developing at the rear edge of the cold front, can be seen over the northern Italy.

10 March 2006, 04 UTC

At this instant a cloud spiral is developing from the cloud bulge, indicating the initial stage of secondary cyclogenesis. The frontal cloud band has a fractured structure which is characteristic for a Cold front in cold advection. Some cloudiness can be seen behind the southern part of the cold front near the Balearic Islands. This cloudiness is overrun by dry stratospheric air which causes its reddish colour.

10 March 2006, 06 UTC

The situation is very similar to the one 2 hours earlier. The development continues.

10 March 2006, 08 UTC

The cold front still has fractured structure but the cloud band over Corsica shows the first signs of S-shape. Behind the southern part of the frontal cloud band one can see that the reddish colour is more prounounced than before, clearly indicating that dry sratospheric air is rapidly penetrating into the lower parts of the atmosphere.

10 March 2006, 10 UTC

At this instant several features deserve attention. A cloud spiral developing from the first wave is now located over the middle Europe. In the past few hours a new wave shows strong enhancement. A prounounced cloud bulge is located between Italy and Corsica and exibits a very conspicuous S-shape. The southern part of frontal cloudiness is overrun by dry air.

10 March 2006, 12 UTC

The cloud spiral is weakening and dispersing. The second wave is still under development. The whole frontal system moved farther eastward and behind it cold air is advected (bluish colours). Like in the previous sequence of satellite images in this RGB one can also see some lee cloudiness over the southern Italy.

10 March 2006, 14 UTC

The situation is similar to the one 2 hours earlier. The system moved farther to the east and it is slowly reaching a fully developed stage.

10 March 2006, 16 UTC

As noted earlier some CB's are developing over the northern part of Italy. After the passage of the cold front, a surface low formed and due to the unstable atmospheric conditions a growth of cumuli cloudiness occured, some of which developed into CB's. The cold front consists of thick cloudiness and still exhibits a smooth S-shape. In the rear southern part a dry intrusion is still prounounced.

10 March 2006, 18 UTC

The cold front is now located over the East Europe and south-eastern Mediterranean countries. It shows a compact spiral form in its northern part but in the southern part a dissipation of cloudiness is visible.

10 March 2006, 20 UTC

The situation is very similar to the one few hours earlier. The frontal system moved farther east showing the increase of cloudiness in the northern spiral part of the system.

10 March 2006, 22 UTC

This last image of the sequence shows a developed frontal system in the south-eastern Europe that consists of the surface low, a weak warm and the broad cold front.