Condições sinóticas para geração de sprites e outros eventos luminosos transientes (TLEs) sobre o Paraguai em 04/03/2006

The Transient Luminous Events (TLEs) are light emissions that occur in middle and upper atmosphere and are associated with thunderstorms with high electrical activity. Usually these events are associated with electric fields produced in the occurrence of lightning. On March 04th, 2006 sprites and halos were observed above a storm over Paraguay from the Southern Space Observatory - SSO/CRS/INPE-MCT, (29.4°S, 53.8°W, 480 m a.s.l.), São Martinho da Serra, RS, Brazil, during a field campaign. The formation of the mesoscale convective system that gave rise to the TLEs was favored by a combination of factors. The confluence of the north and south low level jets, the north carrying hot air and humidity from the Amazon, and the south carrying cold air from the frontal system to the region of formation of the storm, associated with high upward vertical velocity were fundamental to the development of MCS over Paraguay. 94 sprites were observed in this campaign, the majority occurred during the apex of the MCS, when the system had its larger area of clouds Cumulunimbus. This work shows the weather conditions that favored the formation of the MCS generating TLEs, and relate the TLEs observation with the development stages of the MCS.