Simulation of tropical cyclone Vamei (2001) using the PSU/NCAR MM5 model

Summary In this study, a rare tropical cyclone Vamei was simulated using the non-hydrostatic version 3.6 of the Penn State University (PSU) – National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) mesoscale model MM5. This unusual cyclone was generated on 26 December 2001 in an area close to the equator in the southern part of the South China Sea. The model was integrated for 80 h from 0000 UTC 26 December 2001 to 1800 UTC 29 December 2001. To examine the model performance, several important simulated fields including sea-level pressure, surface wind speed and precipitation were compared to observations. The model simulated track of the cyclone was also compared to the best track provided by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JWTC). Overall, the model performed reasonably well, particularly in simulating the cyclone track and precipitation amount and spatial distribution. The analysis of the model output indicated the important role of the latent heat flux in the genesis and intensification of tropical cyclone Vamei.