1.Introduction Use of proxy satellite observations for improving the model states of divergence, humidity and temperature has gained considerable impetus in the past one decade. Various researchers (Donner, 1998,Heckley et al, 1990, Krishnamurti, 1990) have used the satellite derived rainfall and moisture fields ameliorating the spin up problem in the tropics. Physical initialization methods (P...

A common thread across the reviews was a request for more justification of the retrieval of a height-invariant Nw, and for evaluation of the retrievals through the vertical profile. In response we have added Figs. 5, 9 & 12 evaluating the averaged vertical profile of retrieved and forward-modelled variables in key precipitation regimes: moderate stratiform rain (case 1), light stratiform rain w...