Tropical Cyclone Research and Review最新文献

This report synthesizes global tropical cyclone (TC) tornado research and operational practices to date. Tornadoes are one of the secondary (and lesser researched) hazards contributing to the devastation TCs leave in their wake. While gale-force winds and storm surge produce the majority of damage and fatalities globally, TC tornadoes also pose a fatal threat, complicating evacuation plans and protective actions as the storm moves inland. Climatological studies characterize TC-spawned tornadoes as usually weak and short-lived, primarily originating from miniature supercells in the outer rainbands. These tornadic features pose challenges to forecasting and radar detection. Additionally, TC tornadoes can pose a threat to communities 12 h prior to and beyond 48 h after a TC makes landfall.

Research, both basic and operational, has increased globally over the last few years in efforts to move from a climatological to ingredients-based approach to detect and forecast TC tornadoes. While the United States has led the charge, given the increased exposure to tornadoes year round, other nations such as China, Japan, and Australia have increased their efforts to record and detect TC tornadoes. Despite these advancements, more work needs to be done globally to understand the TC environment conducive for tornadic activity. Recommendations for future forecasting and research for TC tornadoes include i) develop a comprehensive global tornado database to improve research and forecasting efforts; ii) apply innovative technology to detect tornadoes; and iii) conduct field campaigns to thoroughly sample TC tornado environments, particularly along coastlines.

In this paper, we summarize findings from the Tenth International Workshop on Tropical Cyclones (IWTC-10) subgroup on operational track forecasting techniques and capability.

The rate of improvement in the accuracy of official forecast tracks (OFTs) appears to be slowing down, at least for shorter lead times, where we may be approaching theoretical limits. Operational agencies continue to use consensus methods to produce the OFT with most continuing to rely on an unweighted consensus of four to nine NWP models. There continues to be limited use of weighted consensus techniques, which is likely a result of the skills and additional maintenance needed to support this approach. Improvements in the accuracy of ensemble mean tracks is leading to increased use of ensemble means in consensus tracks.

Operational agencies are increasingly producing situation-dependent depictions of track uncertainty, rather than relying on a static depiction of track forecast certainty based on accuracy statistics from the preceding 5 years. This trend has been facilitated by the greater availability of ensemble NWP guidance, particularly vortex parameter files, and improved spread in ensembles. Despite improving spread-skill relationships, most ensemble NWP systems remain under spread. Hence many operational centers are looking to leverage “super-ensembles” (ensembles of ensembles) to ensure the full spread of location probability is captured. This is an important area of service development for multi-hazard impact-based warnings as it supports better decision making by emergency managers and the community in the face of uncertainty.

This review summarizes the rapporteur report on tropical cyclone (TC) intensity change from the operational perspective, as presented to the 10th International Workshop on TCs (IWTC-10) held in Bali, Indonesia, from Dec. 5–9, 2022. The accuracy of TC intensity forecasts issued by operational forecast centers depends on three aspects: real-time observations, TC dynamical model forecast guidance, and techniques and methods used by forecasters. The rapporteur report covers the progress made over the past four years (2018–2021) in all three aspects. This review focuses on the progress of dynamical model forecast guidance. The companion paper (Part II) summarizes the advance from operational centers. The dynamical model forecast guidance continues to be the main factor leading to the improvement of operational TC intensity forecasts. Here, we describe recent advances and developments of major operational regional dynamical TC models and their intensity forecast performance, including HWRF, HMON, COAMPS-TC, Met Office Regional Model, CMA-TYM, and newly developed HAFS. The performance of global dynamical models, including NOAA's GFS, Met Office Global Model (MOGM), JMA's GSM, and IFS (ECMWF), has also been improved in recent years due to their increased horizontal and vertical resolution as well as improved data assimilation systems. Recent challenging cases of rapid intensification are presented and discussed.

This contribution summarizes the significant progress in a variety of topic areas related to internal tropical cyclone (TC) intensity change processes over 2018–2022 from the WMO Tenth International Workshop on Tropical Cyclones (IWTC-10). These topic areas include surface and boundary layer processes; TC internal structure and microphysical processes; and, radiation interactions with TCs. Recent studies better frame the uncertainty in the surface drag and enthalpy coefficients at high wind speeds. These parameters greatly impact TC intensity and it is therefore important that more direct measurements of these boundary layer parameters are made. Particularly significant scientific strides have been made in TC boundary layers. These advancements have been achieved through improved coupled models, large-eddy simulations, theoretical advancements, and detailed observations. It is now clear that the research field needs to better represent the eddy viscosity throughout the depth of the boundary layer. Furthermore, detailed study of coherent structures in TC boundary layers will likely be a propitious direction for the research community. Meanwhile, in-depth observational field campaigns and assiduous data analysis have made significant headway into verifying theory and modeling studies of intensification processes related to TC vortex alignment, efficient latent heating distributions, and overall 3D structure. Substantial efforts have also been made to better understand the intricate roles radiative processes play in TC evolution and intensity change. Finally, some promising progress has been made in the development of time-dependent theories of TC intensification and the predictability of internal TC intensity change. Overall, there have been well-earned gains in the understanding of intensity change processes intrinsic to the TC system, but the journey is not complete. This paper highlights some of the most relevant and important research areas that are still shedding new light into internal factors governing TC intensity change.

The Tenth International Workshop on Tropical Cyclones (IWTC-10) occurred from 5 to 9 December 2022 in Bali, Indonesia. This workshop continued the goal of the original IWTC, held in 1985 in Bangkok, Thailand, to bring together forecasters and researchers from countries around the world that are impacted by tropical cyclones (TCs) to discuss the latest research and forecast advances and share best practices to improve TC forecasts globally. The workshops have continued as a regular feature of WMO efforts to encourage the advancement of TC forecasting and improve ways of communicating TC hazards to the general public.

Global TC forecasting efforts in the past 10–15 years have emphasized hazards and impacts of landfalling TCs beyond just track and intensity. Additionally, there has been a growing interest in improving the communication of these hazards and impacts, using concepts from social and behavioral sciences, in ways that can lead to effective decision-making from stakeholders (e.g., government officials, emergency managers, media, general public). As such, the theme for IWTC-10 was “Improved TC science and services for better decision-making.” More about this theme, how the workshop was structured around it, and key outcomes from the workshop are discussed in this summary article.

This paper summarizes the progress and activities of tropical cyclone (TC) operational forecast centers during the last four years (2018–2021). It is part II of the review on TC intensity change from the operational perspective in the rapporteur report presented to the 10th International Workshop on TCs (IWTC) held in Bali, Indonesia, from Dec. 5–9, 2022. Part I of the review has focused on the progress of dynamical model forecast guidance. This part discusses the performance of TC intensity and rapid intensification forecasts from several operational centers. It is shown that the TC intensity forecast errors have continued to decrease since the 9th IWTC held in 2018. In particular, the improvement of rapid intensification forecasts has accelerated, compared with years before 2018. Consensus models, operational procedures, tools and techniques, as well as recent challenging cases from 2018 to 2021 identified by operational forecast centers are described. Research needs and recommendations are also discussed.

Southern Malawi is continuously affected by tropical cyclone-related floods (TCRFs), which have negative consequences on households' livelihoods, thereby displacing most households to neighbouring communities of Mozambique. The TCRFs have further threatened national, regional, community, and household food security agenda, which is already constrained by poverty, poor agricultural practices, low use of improved varieties, unaffordable inorganic fertilizers, and fragmenting landholding sizes. Accordingly, households have indigenously engineered resilience-based Sustainable Landscape Management (SLM) practices, like intercropping, agroforestry, cover cropping, and soil and water conservation practices, against the adverse effects of TCRFs on-farm productivity. Hence, this study examines the effect of TCRFs and SLM adoption on-farm productivity. While using rigorous endogenous switching regression econometric tools, the study finds TCRFs reducing farm productivity by 27 percent. After SLM adoption, the study observes farm productivity enhancement by 29–126 percent when households adopt at least one SLM practices under varying degrees of TCRFs. Despite the highlighted advantages of SLM adoption, female farmers are less likely to adopt SLM practices because they do not have access to productive resources. Hence, the study proposes the need of gender targeted extension services, accompanied by some seed capital for SLM adoption. Besides, there is need to sensitize farmers on the complementarities between inorganic fertilizer and SLM practices. Lastly, future studies should assess the effect of sustained SLM adoption or dis-adoption and input intensification on farm productivity.