Connection of Heat Events in Cyprus with Synoptic Upper Air Patterns

There is no widely accepted definition of heat wave. The definition recommended by the World Meteorological Organization and adopted in this research is “when the daily maximum temperature of more than 5 consecutive days exceeds the maximum temperature normal by 5°C”. These periods of abnormally and uncomfortably hot and (usually) humid weather are very common in the Eastern Mediterranean during summer and early autumn. Expert examination of the synoptic patterns on upper air charts can reveal the potential for a heat wave event. In this respect, the research presented here attempts to identify height patterns favorable for heat events by using a neural network classification method, namely, the Kohonen Self Organizing Maps (SOM).