Recent publications have investigated the interactions between the extratropical transitions （ETs） of tropical cyclones （TCs） and midlatitude circulations; however, studies of ET events have rarely considered the relationship between the storm and the nearby subtropical high. The TC best-track data provided by the Regional Specialized Meteorological Center-Tokyo Typhoon Center of the Japan Meteorology Agency are used in conjunction with the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data to discuss the potential effects of the subtropical high on ETs over the western North Pacific basin. When the western Pacific subtropical high （WPSH） is weakened and withdrawn toward the east, more TCs follow recurving paths and the midlatitude trough activity is intensified. These changes lead to enhanced ET activity. By contrast, when the WPSH strengthens and extends westward, the number of TCs that follow direct westward paths increases and the midlatitude trough is relatively inactive. These conditions lead to reduced occurrences of ET cases. Abnormal activity of the WPSH should be considered as an important factor in determining ET activity.
Microphysical characteristics of the raindrop size distribution(RSD)in Typhoon Morakot(2009) have been studied through the PARSIVEL disdrometer measurements at one site in Fujian province,China during the passage of the storm from 7 to 10 August 2009.The time evolution of the RSD reveals different segments of the storm.Significant difference was observed in the microphysical characteristics between the outer rainband and the eyewall;the eyewall precipitation had a broader size distribution(a smaller slope) than the outer rainband and eye region.The outer rainband and the eye region produced stratiform rains while the eyewall precipitation was convective or mixed stratiform-convective.The RSD was typically characterized by a single peak distribution and well represented by the gamma distribution.The relations between the shape(μ)and slope(Λ)of the gamma distribution and between the reflectivity(Z)and rainfall rate(R)have been investigated.Based on the NW-Dm relationships,we suggest that the stratiform rain for the outer rainband and the eye region was formed by the melting of graupel or rimed ice particles,which likely originated from the eyewall clouds.
In this study,the effect of vertical wind shear(VWS)on the intensification of tropical cyclone(TC)is investigated via the numerical simulations.Results indicate that weak shear tends to facilitate the development of TC while strong shear appears to inhibit the intensification of TC.As the VWS is imposed on the TC,the vortex of the cyclone tends to tilt vertically and significantly in the upper troposphere.Consequently,the upward motion is considerably enhanced in the downshear side of the storm center and correspondingly,the low-to mid-level potential temperature decreases under the effect of adiabatic cooling,which leads to the increase of the low-to mid-level static instability and relative humidity and then facilitates the burst of convection.In the case of weak shear,the vertical tilting of the vortex is weak and the increase of ascent,static instability and relative humidity occur in the area close to the TC center.Therefore,active convection happens in the TC center region and facilitates the enhancement of vorticity in the inner core region and then the intensification of TC.In contrast,due to strong VWS,the increase of the ascent,static instability and relative humidity induced by the vertical tilting mainly appear in the outer region of TC in the case with stronger shear,and the convection in the inner-core area of TC is rather weak and convective activity mainly happens in the outer-region of the TC.Therefore,the development of a warm core is inhibited and then the intensification of TC is delayed.Different from previous numerical results obtained by imposing VWS suddenly to a strong TC,the simulation performed in this work shows that,even when the VWS is as strong as 12 m s-1,the tropical storm can still experience rapid intensification and finally develop into a strong tropical cyclone after a relatively long period of adjustment.It is found that the convection plays an important role in the adjusting period.On one hand,the convection leads to the horizontal convergence of the low-level vorticity flux
There exist typically two kinds of low-level col fields over the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River of China during summer. ＇One is associated with the mesoscale vortex embedded in the Meiyu front; the other is related to tropical cyclones making landfall over eastern or southern China. The first one is the focus of this study. The meso scale vortex （MβV） causing heavy rainfall usually forms in a col field or within a shear line associated with the mesoscale low-level jet （mLLJ）. The MβV, triggered by mesoscale wind perturbation in a col field, is simulated by using a three-dimensional q-coordinate mesoscale model. This col field represents the circumstance of the 98.7 heavy rainfall event over eastern Hubei Province. The results show that the MβV triggered by wind perturbation was weak and maintained only several hours if the latent heat feedback was switched off. The wind perturbation also weakened rapidly. However, when the latent heat feedback was included, precipitation became more intense and the mLLJ and MβV quickly developed. The MβV maintained quasi-stationary during its life cycle under the stable col field. The MβV triggered by the southwesterly perturbation was located closely to that by the northeasterly perturbation. They were both located in the weak wind region near the col point. The stronger the perturbation was, the more intense and longer the dynamic MβV lived. The 24-h accumulated precipitation in different experiments showed a similar pattern, which indicates that the relatively stable intensity and range of precipitation were the intrinsic characters of the stable col field. Furthermore, it is found that mesoscale perturbations had some impacts on the location and intensity of the rainfall. The fluctuation of large-scale LLJ to the south of the col field might produce a perturbation, causing instable stratification and rainfall within the low-level col field or shear line. The mLLJ near the rainfall was enhanced due to the latent heat feedback and then caused fo
Recent studies have shown that surface fluxes and exchange coefficients are particularly important to models attempting to simulate the evolution and maintenance of hurricanes or typhoons.By using an advanced research version of the Weather Research and Forecasting(ARW)modeling system,this work aims to study the impact of modified exchange coefficient on the intensity and structures of typhoon Saomai(2006)over the western North Pacific.Numerical experiments with the modified and unmodified exchange coefficients are used to investigate the intensity and structure of the storm,especially the structures of the boundary layer within the storm.Results show that,compared to the unmodified experiment,the simulated typhoon in the modified experiment has a bigger deepening rate after 30-h and is the same as the observation in the last 12-h.The roughness is leveled off when wind speed is greater than 30 m/s.The momentum exchange coefficient(CD)and enthalpy exchange coefficient(CK)are leveled off too,and CD is decreased more than CK when wind speed is greater than 30 m/s.More sensible heat flux and less latent heat flux are produced.In the lower level,the modified experiment has slightly stronger outflow,stronger vertical gradient of equivalent potential temperature and substantially higher maximum tangential winds than the unmodified experiment has.The modified experiment generates larger wind speed and water vapor tendencies and transports more air of high equivalent potential temperature to the eyewall in the boundary layer.It induces more and strong convection in the eyewall,thereby leading to a stronger storm.
Interannual variability of landfalling tropical cyclones(TCs) in China during 1960-2010 is investigated.By using the method of partial least squares regression(PLS-regression),canonical ENSO and ENSO Modoki are identified to be the factors that contribute to the interannual variability of landfalling TCs.El Ni o Modoki years are associated with a greater-than-average frequency of landfalling TCs in China,but reversed in canonical El Ni o years.Significant difference in genesis locations of landfalling TCs in China for the two kinds of El Ni o phases occurs dominantly in the northern tropical western North Pacific(WNP).The patterns of low-level circulation anomalies and outgoing longwave radiation(OLR) anomalies associated with landfalling TC genesis with different types of El Ni o phases are examined.During canonical El Ni o years,a broad zonal band of positive OLR anomalies dominates the tropical WNP,while the circulation anomalies exhibit a meridionally symmetrical dipole pattern with an anticyclonic anomaly in the subtropics and a cyclonic anomaly near the tropics.In El Ni o Modoki years,a vast region of negative OLR anomalies,roughly to the south of 25°N with a strong large-scale cyclonic anomaly over the tropical WNP,provides a more favorable condition for landfalling TC genesis compared to its counterpart during canonical El Ni o years.For more landfalling TCs formed in the northern tropical WNP in El Ni o Modoki years,there are more TCs making landfall on the northern coast of China in El Ni o Modoki years than in canonical El Ni o years.The number of landfalling TCs is slightly above normal in canonical La Ni a years.Enhanced convection is found in the South China Sea(SCS) and the west of the tropical WNP,which results in landfalling TCs forming more westward in canonical La Ni a years.During La Ni a Modoki years,the landfalling TC frequency are below normal,owing to an unfavorable condition for TC genesis persisting in a broad zonal band from 5°N to 25°N.Since the western North Pacific subtropical hig
The atmospheric and oceanic conditions are examined during different stages of the lifecycle of western North Pacific tropical cyclones （TCs）, with the intention to understand how the environment affects the intensity change of TCs in this area. It is found that the intensification usually occurs when the underlying sea surface temperature （SST） is higher than 26℃. TCs usually experience a rapid intensification when the SST is higher than 27.5℃ while lower than 29.5℃. However, TCs decay or only maintain its intensity when the SST is lower than 26℃. The intensifying TCs usually experience a low-to-moderate vertical wind shear （2-10 m s-l）. The larger the vertical wind shear, the slower the TCs strengthen. In addition, the convective available potential energy （CAPE） is much smaller in the developing stage than in the formation stage of TCs. For the rapidly intensifying TCs, the changes of SST, CAPE, and vertical wind shear are usually small, indicating that the rapid intensification of TCs occurs when the evolution of the environment is relatively slow.
