Numerical simulations of significant orographic precipitation in Madeira island

• Numerical simulations with different horizontal resolutions over large domains.
• Very-high resolution simulations of precipitation over complex terrain.
• More realistic simulations with the increase of the horizontal resolution.
• Different synoptic configurations were associated to the precipitation events.
• Different spatial patterns of the rainfall distribution over the Madeira.

High-resolution simulations of high precipitation events with the MESO-NH model are presented, and also used to verify that increasing horizontal resolution in zones of complex orography, such as in Madeira island, improve the simulation of the spatial distribution and total precipitation. The simulations succeeded in reproducing the general structure of the cloudy systems over the ocean in the four periods considered of significant accumulated precipitation. The accumulated precipitation over the Madeira was better represented with the 0.5 km horizontal resolution and occurred under four distinct synoptic situations. Different spatial patterns of the rainfall distribution over the Madeira have been identified.