An Evaluation of Tropical Cyclone Genesis Forecast over the Western North Pacificand the South China Sea from the CMA-TRAMS

Tropical cyclone (TC) genesis forecasting is essential for daily operational practices during the typhoon season.The updated version of the Tropical Regional Atmosphere Model for the South China Sea (CMA-TRAMS) offersforecasters reliable numerical weather prediction (NWP) products with improved configurations and fine resolution. Whiletraditional evaluation of typhoon forecasts has focused on track and intensity, the increasing accuracy of TC genesisforecasts calls for more comprehensive evaluation methods to assess the reliability of these predictions. This study aims toevaluate the effectiveness of the CMA-TRAMS for cyclogenesis forecasts over the western North Pacific and South ChinaSea. Based on previous research and typhoon observation data over five years, a set of localized, objective criteria has beenproposed. The analysis results indicate that the CMA-TRAMS demonstrated superiority in cyclogenesis forecasts, pre dicting 6 out of 22 TCs with a forecast lead time of up to 144 h. Additionally, over 80% of the total could be predicted 72 hin advance. The model also showed an average TC genesis position error of 218.3 km, comparable to the track errors ofoperational models according to the annual evaluation. The study also briefly investigated the forecast of Noul (2011). Theforecast field of the CMA-TRAMS depicted thermal and dynamical conditions that could trigger typhoon genesis, con sistent with the analysis field. The 96-hour forecast field of the CMA-TRAMS displayed a relatively organized three dimensional structure of the typhoon. These results can enhance understanding of the mechanism behind typhoon genesis,fine-tune model configurations and dynamical frameworks, and provide reliable forecasts for forecasters.     

INSTABILITY PROPERTIES OF ATMOSPHERIC DISTURBANCES

There are some basic problems in previous theoretical studies of baroclinic instability.The derived criticalbaroclinity was considerably lower than the time averaged mean meridional temperature gradient,especially in the lowertroposphere.Also,the linear mechanism of baroclinic disturbance development which is noted restricted by the criticalbaroclinity was not studied sufficiently.The realistic critical baroclinity and disturbance development are discussed inthis study.It will be shown that the critical condition of instability and typical time and space scales of disturbances de-pend on three-dimensional structures of atmosphere and sphericity of the earth,other than the horizontal temperaturegradient alone.The variant behaviour of atmospheric disturbances depends highly on their specific scales that may bedescribed by the same theoretical model.Thus,there would be no substantial differences in the basic instability mecha-nism of many disturbances including the polar lows and explosive cyclones.     

影响2018年盛夏热带气旋群发的多尺度环流特征

以2018年盛夏一次典型的热带气旋群发(Multiple Tropical Cyclogenesis,MTC)事件为例,分析了多尺度环流(包括大尺度环流、季节内振荡及热带波动等)对MTC的影响,并探讨了MTC群发期和间歇期整层大气垂直扰动场的差异。结果表明:1)2018年盛夏西北太平洋经历了一次持续时间长达16 d有8个TC相继生成的MTC群发期和紧接着长达19 d仅1个TC生成的MTC间歇期;2)MTC群发期越赤道气流增强,季风槽加强东伸,南海和西北太平洋上空低层辐合高层辐散的环流配置有利于TC生成;3)夏季东亚-西北太平洋季节内振荡北传对MTC次季节变化具有显著的调制作用,MTC群发期(间歇期)南海和西北太平洋正好处于一次较强的季节内振荡(Intraeasonal Oscillation,ISO)北传湿(干)位相上;4)群发期内8个TC的生成皆与热带波动有关,其中5个同时受两种热带波动的影响,热带波动通过改变局地热动力状况为TC生成提供触发条件;5)多尺度环流的共同影响最终导致MTC群发期和间歇期在温压扰动场配置、垂直运动扰动和比湿扰动的垂直结构特征上表现出显著的差异,扰动分析法的应用为MTC生成的延伸期预报提供了一个新的思路。     

PREDICTION OF TROPICAL DISTURBANCE DEVELOPMENT OVER THE SOUTH CHINA SEA USING SSM/I DATA

This paper proposes a method for predicting the development of tropical disturbance over the South China Sea(SCS)based on the total latent heat release(TLHR)derived from the Special Sensor Microwave/Imager(SSM/I)satellite observations.A threshold value of daily mean TLHR(3×1014 W)for distinguishing the non-developing and developing tropical disturbances is obtained based on the analysis for 25 developing and 43 non-developing tropical disturbances over the SCS during 2000 to 2005.If the mean TLHR within 500 km of a disturbance on the latest day and its daily mean TLHR during previous life are both greater than 3×1014 W,the disturbance will be a developing one in the future.Otherwise,it is a non-developing one.A real-time testing prediction of tropical cyclogenesis over the SCS was conducted for the years 2007 and 2008 using this threshold value of TLHR.We find that the method is successful in detecting the development of 80%of all tropical disturbances over the SCS in 2007 and 2008.     

COMPARISON STUDY ON THE INTRASEASONAL VARIATIONS IN CIRCULATIONS AND PRECIPITATION MODULATED BY THE TROPICAL CYCLOGENESIS OVER SOUTH CHINA SEA–WESTERN PACIFIC DURING GUANGDONG FLOODING PERIOD

Based on tropical cyclone datasets from Shanghai Typhoon Institute of China Meteorological Administration, the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP, USA) reanalysis data and the rainfall records from 743 stations in China, the impacts of cyclogenesis number over the South China Sea and the western Pacific are studied on the 30-60-day oscillations in the precipitation of Guangdong during the flooding period. The year with more-than-normal (less-than-normal) tropical cyclogenesis is defined as a ‘high year’ (‘low year’). In light of the irregular periodic oscillations, the method used to construct the composite life cycle is based on nine consecutive phases in each of the cycles. Phases 1, 3, 5, and 7 correspond to, respectively, the time when precipitation anomalies reach the minimum, a positive transition (negative-turning-to-positive) phase, the maximum, and a negative transition phase. The results showed that the precipitation of the 30-60-day oscillations is associated with the interaction between a well-organized eastward propagation system from the Arabian Sea/Bay of Bengal and a westward-propagating system (with cyclonic and anticyclonic anomalies in the northwest-southeast direction) from the South China Sea to western Pacific during the high years, whereas the precipitation is affected during a low year by the circulation over the South China Sea and western Pacific (with cyclonic and anticyclonic anomalies in the northeast-southwest direction). During the high year, the warm and wet air mass from the ocean to the west and south are transported to Guangdong by westerly anomalies and an enclosed latitudinal cell, which ascends in the Northern Hemisphere low latitudes and descends in the Southern Hemisphere low latitudes. During the low year, the warm and wet air mass from the ocean to the south is transported to Guangdong by southwesterly wind anomalies and local ascending movements. Because the kinetic energy, westerly, easterly shift, vertical velocity and vapor transportation averaged over (109–119° E, 10–20° N) is stronger in high years than those in low years, the precipitation of the 30-60-day oscillations in Guangdong is higher in high years than that in low years.     

季风槽中热带气旋生成初期扰动的扰动动能收支分析

热带气旋总是发生在天气尺度扰动中,本文利用NCEP/NCAR提供的FNL资料,选取了2004年8月11日—9月10日期间季风槽中5个热带气旋生成初期扰动,通过计算动能收支分析这些初期扰动的发展。其中4个热带气旋都是生成在向西北方向传播的天气尺度波列的气旋性环流中,气旋性环流可以和呈东北—西南方向倾斜西传的MRG波的逆时针环流耦合。动能收支计算表明,初期扰动动能在热带气旋生成前12~72 h不断增加,扰动位势通量的辐合对扰动动能增长起了主要作用。在季风槽东端的合流区时,能量聚集项有重要作用,随着扰动移入季风槽内,低频纬向风切变项成为能量增加的一个重要来源。Sarika生成于季风槽西撤阶段,非线性作用项对扰动发展起了关键作用。     

A dynamic study of explosive cyclogeneses developments over the ocean

1 IwrRODUcrIONIt is necessary to understand disastrous weather systems as the activities of exploitingand uti1izing marine resources, especialIy for the needs of navigation and oil-gas prospecting.Typhoon is the most frequent and dangerous disastrous weather system in summer-autumnseason in the Nolthwest Pacific Ocean. The explosive cyclogenesis developing quickly overocean is the most terrible weather system in winteL The explosive cycnogenesis grows fastwith high intensity of violent wi…     

Storminess and surges in the South-Western Approaches of the eastern North Atlantic: the synoptic climatology of recent extreme coastal storms

The climatology of intense winter cyclone events in the eastern North Atlantic responsible for high magnitude surge generation (top 1% of events) within the region of the South-Western Approaches to northwest France and southwest England is extracted from daily sea-level and 500-hPa level atmospheric pressure analyses. Cluster analysis yields discrete cyclone track regimes linked to upper airflow patterns being responsible for the generation of intense storms (central pressure at sea-level ≤990 hPa) which promote severe surge events ≥60 cm along the French coast of the South-Western Approaches. Fluctuations in storminess are strongly influenced by the southward intrusion and strengthening of the jet stream in mid-Atlantic. These occurrences are often associated with negative sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies near Newfoundland and a strengthening of the thermal gradient across the Atlantic well to the south of its normal position. Resultant cyclogenesis promotes storms displaying a delay in minimum central pressure attainment until well east of 14°W, encouraging enhancement of surge flow. Stepwise multiple regression analysis indicates that the most influential variables in promoting severe surge events in the South-Western Approaches are trans-Atlantic sea surface temperature gradients. The most important influence is the prevailing west–east sea surface temperature gradient during the month of the storm, followed by that for the prior month of the storm and thirdly, the north–south sea surface temperature gradient prevailing during the month of the event. Other influential variables reflect the character of the cyclone, storm duration, mean deepening rate of storm central pressure, the value of the outermost closed isobar around the storm centre, and the longitudinal position of the outermost closed isobar to the right of the cyclone track. In contrast, the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is not very effective as a discriminator of surge activity. This may reflect the greater intra-month volatility of parameters used to derive the NAO index than of other monthly variables considered in the study. The lack of resolvability at the individual storm level probably also arises because of the monthly detailing of the NAO against storms of 2–3 days duration. This behavioural model of extreme storminess in the South-Western Approaches to northwest France provides the basis by which extremes of coastal susceptibility can be calibrated.     

ISENTROPIC POTENTIAL VORTICITY ANALYSIS ON THE MESOSCALE CYCLONE DEVELOPMENT IN A TORRENTIAL RAIN PROCESS

The mesoscale model MM4 is used to simulate the torrential rain associated with Meiyu frontoccurring on 5—6 July.1991 in the Changjiang-Huaihe Basin.Based on the outputs of the model,the cause of the mesoscale cyclogenesis on the lower troposphere is investigated in terms of thepotential vorticity principle.The results show that because of the favorable pattern of moistisentropic surface,the absolute vorticity increases when cold air with high moist potential vorticityvalue rapidly slides down southwards along the moist isentropic surface,and then causes thecyclonic vortex development.