Wind-regime modulation of cloud, precipitation and sea surface heat budget: case studies over the central Great Barrier Reef

Abstract

The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is increasingly threatened by marine heatwaves and mass coral bleaching events, with local atmospheric conditions playing a critical role in modulating sea surface temperatures and heat stress. This study examines how synoptic-to-mesoscale meteorological processes shaped cloud formation, precipitation and the ocean surface heat budget across the central GBR during the 2021–22 austral summer. Using a combination of observations, reanalysis data and high-resolution convection-permitting simulations, two representative cases are analysed: a trade wind breakdown period associated with early-summer heating and a trade wind regime linked to mid-summer cooling. The brea..