Analyzing the genesis, intensity, and tracks of western Mediterranean cyclones

Midlatitude cyclones are analyzed on a selected region covering most of southern Europe and the western part of the Mediterranean Sea (35–50°N, 10°W–25°E). On the basis of mean sea level pressure fields of the ECMWF (European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecast) Reanalysis Dataset (ERA-40), detailed evaluation of Mediterranean cyclones is accomplished for the period between 1957 and 2002 on a 1° horizontal resolution grid. Cyclone centers are identified and their paths are tracked with a 6-h time step (using 00 UTC, 06 UTC, 12 UTC, and 18 UTC). Decadal, annual, and seasonal statistical analysis of cyclone tracks includes the study of the genesis, frequency, and activity of the Mediterranean cyclones as well as the variability of cyclone tracks. The results suggest that the cyclone frequency in the western Mediterranean region increased in summer and autumn, and decreased in winter and spring. A special belt-shaped area is identified, which plays a special role in cyclogenesis, and also, the cyclone tracks often remain within this belt. An overall decreasing trend is detected in winter and spring in the entire Mediterranean belt, while cyclone frequency increased in autumn. The largest positive and negative trend coefficients are identified in summer.     

Vertical characteristics of cyclonic tracks over the eastern Mediterranean during the cold period of the year

The vertical structure of surface cyclonic tracks affecting the eastern Mediterranean region is studied on a climatological basis for the cold period of the year. The dataset used is the 1°?×?1° ERA-40 Reanalysis for a 40-year period (1962–2001). The vertical tracking of surface cyclonic tracks was performed with the aid of the Melbourne University Vertical Tracking Algorithm. It was found that about 83 % of the cyclones were extended up to the 500-hPa level and almost 65 % up to 200-hPa level, implying that the cyclones are in general well organized. The surface tracks that originate within the examined area exhibit the smallest vertical extension, intensity, radius, and depth compared to the cyclones originating in the other sectors. Moreover, the 500-hPa counterparts for the said cyclones are mainly located to the north-west or south-west of the surface cyclone position, consistent with the baroclinic character of the Mediterranean cyclones. The zonal (eastward) component of motion predominates both at the surface and at 500 hPa.     

Climatology of extratropical cyclones over the South American–southern oceans sector

A climatology of extratropical cyclones is presented. Extratropical cyclones, their main characteristics and their predominant tracks, as well as their interannual variability, affect weather in South America. For that purpose, a storm track database has been compiled by applying a cyclone tracking scheme to six-hourly sea level pressure fields, available from the National Center for Environmental Prediction–National Center for Atmospheric Research reanalyses II for the 1979–2003 period. The spatial distribution of the cyclogenesis frequency shows two main centers: one around Northern Argentina, Uruguay, and Southern Brazil in all seasons and the other near to the North Antarctic Peninsula. The lifetime of extratropical cyclones in the South American sector exhibits small seasonality, being typically of the order of 3.0 days during most of the year and slightly higher (3.5 days) in austral summer. The distance travelled by the cyclones formed in the South American sector tends to be smaller than the total paths found in other areas of the Southern Hemisphere. A k-mean clustering technique is used to summarize the analysis of the 25-year climatology of cyclone tracks. Three clusters were found: one storm-track cluster in Northeast Argentina; a second one west of the Andes Cordillera; and a third cluster located to the north of the Antarctic Peninsula (around the Weddell Sea). The influence of the Antarctic Oscillation (AAO) in the variability of extratropical cyclones is explored, and some signals of the impacts of the variability of the AAO can be observed in the position of the extratropical cyclones around 40°S, while the impacts on the intensity is detected around 55°S.     

A Preliminary Analysis of Disturbance Tracksover the Mediterranean Basin

Summary  The Mediterranean basin experiences considerable cyclone activity mostly during fall, winter and spring and diminished activity during summer. In this study we present results of synoptic disturbance track analysis for two contrasting winter months and two, near average, summer months over the eastern Mediterranean. The surface and 500 hPa disturbance tracks were subjectively analyzed from two points of view. First, looking at tracks of conventionally defined cyclone centers (eddies) based on actual pressure and height distribution and second, looking at tracks of transient cyclonic disturbances (TRADs), defined as centers of negative deviations from the time mean. The second type of analysis demonstrated a considerable increase in the number of detectable tracks. Over the Mediterranean and vicinity the ratio between the number of surface TRAD tracks to cyclone tracks is, about 2, whereas at 500 hPa the ratio is much higher, about 5. However, the average life span of transient disturbances was only slightly longer than that of conventional cyclones (mainly at 500 hPa). At the surface and at 500 hPa about 50% of the cyclone tracks coincided to a certain extent with TRAD tracks. In summer, when conventional analysis over the eastern Mediterranean yields mostly quasi‐stationary low pressure centers associated with the Persian Gulf Trough, we detected clear signs of transient disturbances. Some interpretations of the differences between cyclones and TRADs in terms of weather in the eastern Mediterranean are also made. Received January 19, 1999Revised June 23, 1999     

Synoptic and thermodynamic characteristics of 30 March–2 April 2009 heavy rainfall event in Iran

A heavy rainfall event during the period from 30th of March to 2nd of April 2009 has been studied using upper air and surface data as well as NOAA HYSPLIT model. This observational study attempts to determine factors responsible for the occurrence of heavy rainfall over Iran induced by Mediterranean cyclone, a western severe sub-tropical storm that made rainfall on most regions of the country. On the surface chart, cyclones, anticyclones and weather fronts were identified. The positions of the cold and warm fronts, which extended from a two-core low pressure center, were quite in good agreements with directions of winds i.e., westerly, southerly and easterly flows as well as the regions of precipitation. The heavy rain event occurred due to a Mediterranean cyclone’s activity over the study area, while other conditions were also responsible for this event such as an unstable atmosphere condition with abundant low-level moisture, which the warm and moist air parcels were brought by the southwesterly low-level jet into the country from Persian Gulf, Oman Sea, Indian Ocean and Caspian Sea at lower levels as well as Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea and Persian Gulf at upper levels over the examined period. A strong low-level convergence zone was observed along the wind-shift line between the southwesterly flow because of the low-level jet and the northeasterly flow due to the Russian high pressure. The amount of precipitable water varied between 20 and 24 kg m^?2, surface moisture convergence exceeded 2.5 g kg^?1 s^?1 and the highest CAPE value in the sounding profiles was observed in Birjand site with 921 J kg^?1 during the study period. The HYSPLIT model outputs confirmed the observed synoptic features for the examined system over the country.     

ERA40再分析资料揭示的北半球和东亚地区温带气旋生成频率变化

本文利用欧洲中心再分析数据ERA40的6小时间隔海平面气压场和一种改进的客观判定和追踪方法研究19582001年北半球和东亚地区温带气旋生成频率的气候态、年代际变化及可能原因。结果表明:(1)北半球温带气旋的源地主要位于北美东部(落基山下游地区)、西北大西洋地区、格陵兰至欧洲北部地区、蒙古地区和日本至西北太平洋地区。大洋的西岸和陡峭地形的背风坡有利于大气斜压性的增强和正涡度的发展,从而有利于地面气旋的形成。(2)年、冬季和春季30°～60°N气旋生成数目呈现减少的变化趋势,60°～90°N地区的气旋生成数呈增加的变化趋势。这在一定程度上支持了北半球风暴路径北移的观点。60°N以南和以北的温带气旋数目同北极涛动指数(AO)分别呈现负相关和正相关,这种相关性在年、春季和秋季最为显著。(3)1 958—2001年东亚地区的年气旋数目呈现明显的年代际变化。20世纪60年代至80年代中期40°～60°N、80°～140°E地区气旋数目呈增加趋势,而80年代中期之后温带气旋数目则锐减,主要原因是80年代以后该地区大气斜压性减弱,更高纬度地区的大气斜压性增强,从而导致了气旋源地的北移。在较低纬带的20°～40°N、110°～160°E地区气旋数目线性增加,这主要是由于位于40°～55°N的北太平洋风暴轴有向低纬度偏移的变化趋势造成的。     

Extratropical cyclone variability in the Northern Hemisphere winter from the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data

 The winter climatology of Northern Hemisphere cyclone activity was derived from 6-hourly NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data for the period from 1958 to 1999, using software which provides improved accuracy in cyclone identification in comparison to numerical tracking schemes. Cyclone characteristics over the Kuroshio and Gulfstream are very different to those over continental North America and the Arctic. Analysis of Northern Hemisphere cyclones shows secular and decadal-scale changes in cyclone frequency, intensity, lifetime and deepening rates. The western Pacific and Atlantic are characterized by an increase in cyclone intensity and deepening during the 42-year period, although the eastern Pacific and continental North America demonstrate opposite tendencies in most cyclone characteristics. There is an increase of the number of cyclones in the Arctic and in the western Pacific and a downward tendency over the Gulf Stream and subpolar Pacific. Decadal scale variability in cyclone activity over the Atlantic and Pacific exhibits south-north dipole-like patterns. Atlantic and Pacific cyclone activity associated with the NAO and PNA is analyzed. Atlantic cyclone frequency demonstrates a high correlation with NAO and reflects the NAO shift in the mid 1970s, associated with considerable changes in European storm tracks. The PNA is largely linked to the eastern Pacific cyclone frequencies, and controls cyclone activity over the Gulf region and the North American coast during the last two decades. Assessment of the accuracy of the results and comparison with those derived using numerical algorithms, shows that biases inherent in numerical procedures are not negligible. Received: 7 July 2000 / Accepted: 30 November 2000     

春季影响中国北方地区的蒙古气旋及其背景环流

基于1948~2013年NCEP/NCAR逐日再分析资料,采用850 hPa相对涡度场气旋追踪方法,统计了春季蒙古气旋的活动特征,包括其源地、盛期位置、消亡地以及路径的分布。在此基础上,根据蒙古气旋的不同移动路径,界定了蒙古气旋的两种路径,即向东路径和东南路径,并统计了这两类气旋的频数与强度的年际和年代际变化。同时还揭示了这两类蒙古气旋的低频背景环流特征。本文主要结论如下:(1)蒙古气旋主要生成于贝加尔湖南侧和东侧的山脉背风坡,并在蒙古东部地区以及我国东北地区达到盛期,多数气旋消亡于东北亚及其临海区域;(2)两类气旋的生成个数均有显著的年代际变化。向东路径气旋在1950年代的个数偏少,1970年代至1990年代的个数整体偏多,之后有所减少,但进入21世纪后气旋有个数呈现增多的趋势。东南路径气旋在1970年代以前一直处于偏少阶段,1970年代至1980年代中期处于偏多阶段,2005年以后东南路径气旋个数有减少的趋势;(3)向东路径蒙古气旋的背景低频环流由斯堪的纳维亚半岛正异常中心、贝加尔湖及西侧的负异常中心以及环日本海地区的正异常中心所组成的正位相斯堪的纳维亚环流型为主要特征。东南路径蒙古气旋则以俄罗斯西部的负异常中心、拉普捷夫海附近延伸到我国西北地区的正高度异常区以及东北低涡环流为主要特征。     

Characteristics of the internal and external sources of the Mediterranean synoptic cyclones for the period 1956–2013

This paper investigates the main sources and features of the Mediterranean synoptic cyclones affecting the basin, using the cyclone tracks. The cyclones’ tracks are identified using sea level pressure (SLP) from the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data for the period 1956–2013. The identified cyclones are classified into two categories: basin affected and basin non-affected. Most of the basin-affected (non-affected) cyclones are internal (external), i.e., generated inside (outside) the Mediterranean basin. This study reveals four (five) main sources of internal (external) cyclones. These four (five) main sources generated about 63.76% (57.25%) of the internal (external) cyclones. Seasonal analysis shows that most of the basin-affected internal (external) cyclones were generated in the winter (spring) season. The lowest number of cyclones were found in the summer. Moreover, the synoptic study of the atmospheric systems accompanied the highest- and lowest-generated years demonstrates that the deepening of the north Europe cyclones and the relative positions of Azores- and Siberian-high systems represent the important factors that influence the number of internal cyclones. Essential factors influencing the external cyclones are the strength of the maximum upper wind, Azores high, Siberian high, and orientations of their ridges.     

Spatial grids for hurricane climate research

The authors demonstrate a spatial framework for studying hurricane climatology. The framework consists of a spatial tessellation of the hurricane basin using equal-area hexagons. The hexagons are efficient at covering hurricane tracks and provide a scaffolding to combine attribute data from tropical cyclones with spatial climate data. The framework’s utility is demonstrated using examples from recent hurricane seasons. Seasons that have similar tracks are quantitatively assessed and grouped. Regional cyclone frequency and intensity variations are mapped. A geographically-weighted regression of cyclone intensity on sea-surface temperature emphasizes the importance of a warm ocean in the intensification of cyclones over regions where the heat content is greatest. The largest differences between model predictions and observations occur near the coast. The authors suggest the framework is ideally suited for comparing tropical cyclones generated from different numerical simulations.     

浙江省热带气旋倒槽暴雨气候特征研究

基于近40年热带气旋（Tropical Cyclone,简称TC）日降水和最佳路径等观测资料,采用数理统计、天气学分析等方法对浙江省TC倒槽暴雨分布特征及其与TC的相互关系进行研究。（1）浙江省年均会发生1.8次TC倒槽暴雨,占TC暴雨总数约4成,是浙江省台风暴雨中的一种重要形式。每年8—9月是TC倒槽暴雨高发期,暴雨主要发生在宁波南部至温州一带沿海地区,暴雨中心多位于台州和温州沿海。（2）引发浙江省TC倒槽暴雨的热带气旋多在粤东至浙南登陆之后北上转向或西北行,登陆当天最易发生暴雨且雨强最强。暴雨发生时,福建中部沿海经海峡至台湾东北部一带是TC高频活动区。（3）距TC中心2.5~5.0纬距之间和TC东北偏北象限是倒槽暴雨中心的高频落区;较强暴雨发生在TC强度为热带低压时,且强中心易位于TC东北偏东象限,极端强降水发生主要与热带低压和副高等相互作用形成的偏东暖湿急流、TC倒槽强辐合和TC东北偏东象限中尺度深对流系统频繁活动有关。      

Evaluation of the ECMWF 32-day ensemble predictions during 2009 season of western North Pacific tropical cyclone events on intraseasonal timescales

The performance of the ECMWF 32-day ensemble predictions of western North Pacific tropical cyclone events (formation plus track) made once a week during the 2009 season is evaluated with the same procedures as for the 2008 season. Seventeen of the 23 tropical cyclones during the 2009 season occurred during multiple storm scenarios that are more difficult to predict, and many of the deficient track predictions involved unusual and rapidly changing tracks that typically involve interactions with adjacent synoptic circulations that are not predictable on intraseasonal timescales (10–30 days). Such incorrect predictions of the duration and tracks of these multiple cyclones were found to degrade the performance in predicting subsequent tropical cyclone formations and tracks during the 32-day integration. Predominantly northward tracks throughout the life cycle tended to be less predictable on intraseasonal timescales. Given these caveats, the overall performance of the ECMWF ensemble for the 12 typhoons was more successful than during the 2008 season. However, the performance for three tropical storms during the 2009 season was less successful due to the difficult track forecast scenarios. A surprisingly good performance was found in predicting the formation location and early track segments of eight minimal tropical storms or tropical depressions. The less satisfactory aspect for many of the late season tropical depressions was that the ECMWF ensemble continued to predict member vortices for extended periods after the system had actually dissipated.     

Future changes in cyclone climatology over Europe as inferred from a regional climate simulation

This study analyzes the cyclone climatology in regional climate model simulations of present day (1961–1990) and future (2071–2100, A2 and B2 emission scenarios) european climate conditions. The model domain covers the area from Scandinavia to Northern Africa and from the Eastern Atlantic to Russia at a horizontal grid spacing of 50 km. Compared to present day, in the A2 and B2 scenario conditions the annual average storm track intensity increases over the North-East Atlantic and decreases over Russia and the Eastern Mediterranean region. This overall change pattern is larger in the A2 than in the B2 simulations. However, the cyclone climatology change signal shows a large intermonthly variability and important differences across European regions. The largest changes are found over the North-East Atlantic, where the storm track intensity increases in winter and decreases in summer. A significant reduction of storm track intensity is found during late summer and autumn over the Mediterranean region, and from October to January over Russia. The number of cyclones decreases in future conditions throughout Europe, except over the Central Europe and Mediterranean regions in summer (where it increases). The frequency of intense cyclones and the depth of extreme cyclones increase over the North-East Atlantic, decrease over Russia and show an irregular response over the rest of the domain.

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Analysis of conveyor belts in winter Mediterranean cyclones

The relevance of the midlatitude conveyor belt model to Mediterranean cyclones (MCs) is examined using data from two winters. Eight MCs, which exhibit typical midlatitude cyclone structure, were scrutinized and their conveyor belts were examined. The analysis was based on satellite imagery, isentropic wind maps, vertical cross-sections of potential and equivalent potential temperatures, and air back-trajectories. The conveyor belts found in the studied MCs were similar to the common features of midlatitude cyclones, except for three aspects. First, the warm conveyor belt was not associated with massive organized cloudiness in five of the eight cyclones since it consisted of dry air originated from the Saharan desert. Second, the anticyclonic branch of the cold conveyor belt was not found in half of the MCs. Third, the dry air intrusion originated north of the cyclone and extended southward around it, unlike its common midlatitudinal northwest–southeast orientation. This is consistent with the relatively small baroclinic vertical-westward tilt of the cyclones analyzed.     

Assessing characteristics of Mediterranean explosive cyclones for different data resolution

A comparison of two objective climatologies of explosive cyclones in the Mediterranean region is performed. The results are derived from two different mean sea-level pressure reanalysis data resolutions, but from the same assimilation model, in order to quantify the pure impact of higher resolution on the identification and characteristics of explosive cyclones, when the assimilation model is the same. The explosive cyclones were identified with the aid of the Melbourne University automatic cyclone finding and tracking scheme over a 40-year period, using the 6-hourly analyses of ERA-40 mean sea-level pressure (MSLP) on: (a) 2.5?×?2.5 and (b) 1?×?1 latitude–longitude grid. The comparison of the two datasets revealed the significant role of the increase in spatial resolution of MSLP data on the identification and tracking process, and the number of the explosive cyclones in the high-resolution dataset is almost four times greater than the respective one in the lower resolution dataset. However, the comparison of explosive cyclone characteristics, including spatial and temporal variations of explosive deepening, revealed differences in the geographical distribution of the location of the maximum explosive deepening and average explosive cyclone Laplacian of the central pressure. These differences are due to the identification in the higher resolution set of smaller scale and secondary explosives along the strongly baroclinic northern Mediterranean boundaries, south of the Alps and the Pyrenees. Explosive deepening appears a bias to the daytime period from 12 to 18 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) for both datasets, which is more prominent in the LR dataset. Statistically significant difference of pressure tendency between the two datasets appear for the daytime period from 06 to 12 UTC, accounting for better representation of orographic forcing in the HR dataset.     

Advances in research and forecasting of tropical cyclones from 1963–2013

A review of progress over the past 50 years in observing and forecasting of tropical cyclones is presented. Tremendous progress has been made in track forecasting in the past 20 years with the improvement in numerical model guidance and the use of consensus forecasting, and this has contributed to a number of warning centers now issuing five-day track forecasts that are as accurate as three-day forecasts of a decade ago. Techniques are now available to specify the track forecast uncertainty for assessing the risk of a tropical cyclone. With the advent of five-day forecasts, a focus on improved understanding of formation has led to two field experiments. A recent advance has been in extended-range (5–30 days) forecasts of tropical cyclone events (formations and tracks) in the western North Pacific from the ECMWF 32-day ensemble predictions. This advance is a contribution to a goal of seamless forecasting from one day to a season for tropical cyclones. Little progress has been made in intensity forecasting, although the Hurricane Forecast Improvement Project in the United States and recent field experiments may offer some future advances. Some advances in forecasting tropical cyclone impacts such as storm surge, surface waves, and precipitation have been achieved. Future opportunities for continued advances are possible such that improved warnings can lead to reductions in losses of lives and minimizing damages from tropical cyclones.     

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF CYCLONE TRACKS IN WESTERN ANTARCTIC REGION

The paper shows the statistical analysis of cyclone tracks that have influence on the western Antarcticregion.Based on the conditions of cyclone movement and its impact upon the weather,cyclone tracks areclassified into three categories,i.e.,the track moving towards the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula,southern track,and northern track.Moreover,in this paper,the frequency distributions of cyclone tracks,the major tracks with higherfrequencies,the original region of Antarctic cyclones and the seasonal features of Antarctic cyclones have beenanalyzed.The results show that there are higher cyclogeneses in summer,whereas relatively fewer cycloge-neses in winter,and cyclone numbers in transitional seasons are close to the climatological average.Theanalysis also shows that the moving velocity of Antarctic cyclone is about the same in winter and summer.It obviously speed up during the transitional season.     

Long-term variations of cyclone activities in East Asia

A statistical analysis is made of the temporal and spatial variability of cyclone activities in middle latitudes in East Asia for 52 years during the period from 1934 to 1985.Three principal tracks of cyclones are distinguished in East Asia almost all year around except for the disappearance of the south one in summer.A longer-term variation in frequency of cyclones passing over the Japanese Islands with a period of about 20 years is found, in addition to a shorter-term variation with a period of a few years. A significant decreasing trend in cyclone frequency is noted between the late 1960s to around 1980.