Sumatra Squalls: A Classical Storm?
A Sumatra squall is a type of mesoscale convective system which propagates eastward from the Indonesian island of Sumatra, towards peninsular Malaysia and Singapore. With these storms come intense rainfall and wind gusts, primarily in the early hours of the morning, causing damage to infrastructure, flash flooding, and loss. Despite the detriment associated with Sumatra squalls, understanding the mechanisms associated with their life cycles, such as their initiation, propagation, intensification, and dissipation, remain an open research question. By using a high-resolution model simulation of a Sumatra squall case study, we assess whether there are similarities between these systems, and squalls described by classical theory, such as those over continental North America and Africa. We additionally explore whether forcings unique to the Maritime Continent in southeast Asia, such as the presence of equatorial waves, interactions with complex topography, and the role of ocean-atmosphere coupled processes, lead to deviations of these squall characteristics away from expectations originating from theory.