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Which term describes the initial upper level feature in such a case?

  • A.A blocking high
  • B.A jet streak, which is a localised maximum of wind speed embedded within the upper level westerly flow
  • C.A precursor potential vorticity anomaly
  • D.A cut-off low, which has become detached from the westerly flow and drifts slowly for several days

Answer: C

The precursor is typically a compact upper level potential vorticity anomaly, visible as a dark feature on water vapour imagery, that arrives above a surface baroclinic zone and triggers development. Tracking such precursors is standard operational practice. Cut-off lows and blocking highs are quasi-stationary features, and a jet streak accompanies rather than constitutes the anomaly. The shared properties explain why these belong to one family, and the differences explain why more than one exists.

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