An Overview of Research and Forecasting on Rainfall Associated with Landfalling Tropical Cyclones

The ability to forecast heavy rainfall associated with landfalling tropicalcyclones (LTCs) can be improved with a better understanding of the mechanismof rainfall rates and distributions of LTCs. Research in the area of LTCshas shown that associated heavy rainfall is related closely to mechanismssuch as moisture transport, extratropical transition (ET), interaction withmonsoon surge, land surface processes or topographic effects, mesoscaleconvective system activities within the LTC, and boundary layer energytransfer etc.. LTCs interacting with environmental weather systems, especiallythe westerly trough and mei-yu front, could change the rainfall rate anddistribution associated with these mid-latitude weather systems.Recently improved technologies have contributed to advancements within theareas of quantitative precipitation estimation (QPE) and quantitativeprecipitation forecasting (QPF). More specifically, progress has been dueprimarily to remote sensing observations and mesoscale numerical modelswhich incorporate advanced assimilation techniques. Such progress mayprovide the tools necessary to improve rainfall forecasting techniquesassociated with LTCs in the future.