The parameterisation of clouds in global climate models has been recognised for decades as a source of substantial uncertainty concerning the estimates of climate variability and sensitivity. The IPCC AR4 lists convective clouds as one of the major problems in global climate modeling. Precipitation remains one of the least reliable variables in climate models and extreme precipitation is especially problematic, being highly sensitive to the parameterisation of convection. A realistic treatment of the physical processes associated with convective clouds is of great importance for many physical...