Recurvature dynamics of a typhoon

Summary In this paper we present some recent work on typhoon prediction with a high resolution global model. The emphasis of this paper is on typhoon recurvature. Here we include examples of successful typhoon recurvature track forecasts made from a very high resolution global spectral model. The main objective of this study however is to go beyond the forecasts, i.e. to interrogate the history tapes and to diagnose residue-free budgets of the divergence and vorticity. The premise of this paper is that the recurvature of the typhoons depends on both the usual advection of vorticity by the layer mean winds and the advection of divergence in the outflow layers of the storm.The region immediately outside the heavy rain area of the storm experiences large values of divergent outflows which contribute a significant advection of divergence. Through the Dine's compensation this region must, in consort, experience an enhancement of low level convergence and of deep convection, thus contributing to the storm motion. We distinguish two facets of storm motion and recurvature, one based on the conventional steering that invokes the advection of vorticity by a vertical integrated flow, the other is the generation mechanism proposed here. During recurvature the storm appears to move in a direction which is influenced by the rotational and the divergent flow dynamics. Increased vertical resolution in the outflow layer is shown to resolve stronger amplitudes in the outflow layer divergence and thus to contribute to improved forecasts of recurvature. A number of processes seem to simultaneously evolve, these include the strong advection of divergence part of the wind, enhancement of cumulus convection over this region, an enhancement of lower tropospheric convergence, generation of vorticity of the lower troposphere and the attendant recurvature.With 16 Figures