An integrated approach of in-situ data, remote sensing measurements and numerical simulations to study storm events in the Ligurian Sea

Extreme weather events have significant impacts on human activities and related economy in coastal areas. In this scenario, the forecast of sea storms and sea level changes to mitigate the effects of waves on shores, piers and critical coastal infrastructures is a key but challenging goal. This objective can be effectively achieved using a synergistic approach that includes numerical models, in-situ data and remote sensing measurements. To this end, we investigated the atmospheric forcing data of the storm event occurred in the Ligurian Sea on 29-31 October 2018, which induced significant damages with coastal defenses collapses, loss of property and infrastructure. The study was carried on using a dataset that consists of atmospheric and sea wave data from RNM stations, sea wind field data from satellite radar and WRF model numerical simulations. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed integrated approach, showing that ASCAT wind speeds agree well with the numerical simulations with deviations in most locations limited to 3 m/s, except in presence of complex orographic features.