EUMETSAT Meteosat-9 7.35 µm water vapor channel images (click image to play animation)

A rapidly intensifying mid-latitude cyclone (named “Cyclone Ulli” by the Europeans | surface analysis) was responsible for a high wind event as it moved over Scotland on 03 January 2012. A sequence of EUMETSAT Meteosat-9 7.35 µm water vapor channel images (above; click image to play animation) revealed two notable signatures: (1) the formation of a pronounced area of warm/dry water vapor brightness temperatures (bright yellow to orange color enhancement) over the open water north of Ireland, which indicated a strongly forced region of rapidly descending middle-tropospheric air, and (2) a classic “Sting Jet” signature (Monthly Weather Review | Wikipedia) which then moved eastward across Scotland. Just to the south of the sting jet signature, a wind gust of 78 knots (90 mph) was recorded at Glasgow at 08:20 UTC, followed by a wind gust of 70 knots (81 mph) at Edinburgh at 08:50 UTC.  There were additional reports of wind gusts in excess of 87 knots (100 mph) at non-METAR sites in Scotland.

The Sting Jet signature can also be seen in EUMETSAT Meteosat-9 10.8 µm IR images (Animated GIF | QuickTime movie) and EUMETSAT Meteosat-9 0.635 µm visible channel images (Animated GIF | QuickTime movie).

A comparison of 1-km resolution NOAA-19 0.63 µm visible channel and 10.8 µm IR channel images at 12:54 UTC (below) showed the structure of the cyclone as it was centered over the North Sea between the British Isles and Norway.

NOAA-19 0.63 µm visible channel image + NOAA-19 10.8 µm IR channel image

Additional images of this Sting Jet event are available on the EUMETSAT and NASA Wide World of SPoRT sites.