The El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) has an established impact on precipitation in Uruguay during austral spring (October–December). This impact is absent in peak summer (January–February), and returns weakly in fall–winter (March–July). Interannual and intraseasonal variability of the atmospheric circulation over South America and the South Pacific is investigated using the NCEP–NCAR reanalysis data for these seasons. The leading empirical orthogonal function (EOF) of seasonally averaged 200-hPa winds over South America is found to be associated with ENSO through a pronounced Walker cell component in all seasons. However, during spring, this pattern acquires an extratropical teleconnection that links the circulation over southeastern South America (SESA) with ENSO. This extratropical teleconnection disappears in summer, when the circulation over SESA is dominated by variability in the South Atlantic convergence zone. In fall, extratropical South America again becomes affected by a wavelike pa... Abstract The El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) has an established impact on precipitation in Uruguay during austral spring (October–December). This impact is absent in peak summer (January–February), and returns weakly in fall–winter (March–July). Interannual and intraseasonal variability of the atmospheric circulation over South America and the South Pacific is investigated using the NCEP–NCAR reanalysis data for these seasons. The leading empirical orthogonal function (EOF) of seasonally averaged 200-hPa winds over South America is found to be associated with ENSO through a pronounced Walker cell component in all seasons. However, during spring, this pattern acquires an extratropical teleconnection that links the circulation over southeastern South America (SESA) with ENSO. This extratropical teleconnection disappears in summer, when the circulation over SESA is dominated by variability in the South Atlantic convergence zone. In fall, extratropical South America again becomes affected by a wavelike pa...

This work assessed the quality of wind speed estimates in Uruguay. These estimates were obtained using the Weather Research and Forecast Model Data Assimilation System (WRF-DA) to assimilate wind speed measurements from 100 m above the ground at two wind farms. The quality of the estimates was assessed with an anemometric station placed between the wind farms. The wind speed estimates showed low systematic errors at heights of 87 and 36 m above the ground. At both levels, the standard deviation of the total errors was approximately 25% of the mean observed speed. These results suggested that the estimates obtained could be of sufficient quality to be useful in various applications. The assimilation process proved to be effective, spreading the observational gain obtained at the wind farms to lower elevations than those at which the assimilated measurements were taken. The smooth topography of Uruguay might have contributed to the relatively good quality of the obtained wind estimates, although the data of only two stations were assimilated, and the resolution of the regional atmospheric simulations employed was relatively low.

In this work is presented a statistical description of wind profile in the first 100 m of height of the Planetary Boundary Layer, taking account the measurements in the tower Colonia Eulacio Uruguay. This tower has high vertical resolution of wind velocity measurements, form 10.1 m to 101.8 m. Thermometer are installed in 3.4 m and 100.8 m, also the tower is equipped with wind vane and pyranometer. We present the diurnal cycle of mean wind, intensity of turbulence in dependence of height, also standard deviation of direction is described as a measure of turbulence in wind. Stability state is computed with vertical gradient of temperature. Before sunrise (unstable condition) is seen a decrease in mean velocity of top levels (81.8 m and 101.8 m) and increase in lower levels (10.1 m and 25.7 m). Higher dispersion in dT/dz can be seen during night time (stable condition), superadiabatic values -0.02 ◦C/m can be seen during daytime with slow dispersion. Intensity of turbulence decrease with height, for all stability conditions, is seen a increase in intensity of turbulence for unstable condition.