Role of ocean upper layer warm water in the rapid intensification of tropical cyclones: A case study of typhoon Rammasun(1409)

Rammasun intensified rapidly from tropical storm to super typhoon in the northern South China Sea（NSCS）before its landfall on Hainan Island. Analysis of observed data shows that the anomalous ocean upper layer warm water（WW） is important to the rapid intensification of Rammasun. During the period of Rammasun, sea surface temperature（SST） in the NSCS was much warmer than the climatological SST. The anomalous WW supplied more energy to Rammasun, resulting in its rapid intensification. Numerical simulations further confirm that the NSCS WW plays an important role in the rapid intensification of Rammasun. As the WW is removed, the intensification of Rammasun is only 25 h Pa, which is 58.1% of that in the original SST-forced run.

Effects of surface waves and sea spray on air–sea fluxes during the passage of Typhoon Hagupit

Air–sea exchange plays a vital role in the development and maintenance of tropical cyclones（TCs）. Although studies have suggested the dependence of air–sea fluxes on surface waves and sea spray, how these processes modify those fluxes under TC conditions have not been sufficiently investigated based on in-situ observations.Using continuous meteorological and surface wave data from a moored buoy in the northern South China Sea,this study examines the effects of surface waves and sea spray on air–sea fluxes during the passage of Typhoon Hagupit. The mooring was within about 40 km of the center of Hagupit. Surface waves could increase momentum flux to the ocean by about 15%, and sea spray enhanced both sensible and latent heat fluxes to the atmosphere,causing Hagupit to absorb 500 W/m^2 more heat flux from the ocean. These results have powerful implications for understanding TC–ocean interaction and improving TC intensity forecasting.

Relationship of tropical cyclone size change rate with size and intensity over the western North Pacific

In this study,the relationship of tropical cyclone(TC)size change rate(SCR),within 24 hours,with size,intensity,and intensity change rate(ICR)are explored over the western North Pacific.TC size is defined as the azimuthally averaged radius of gale-force wind of 17 m s−1(R17)based on the Multiplatform Tropical Cyclone Surface Winds Analysis data.The majority of SCRs are mainly distributed in the range from−20 to 80 km d−1.The correlation coefficients between SCR and size(SCR-R17),intensity,and ICR(SCR-ICR)are−0.43,−0.12,and 0.25,respectively.The sensitivity of the SCR-R17 and SCR-ICR relationships to size,intensity,and evolution stage are further examined.Results show that the SCR-R17 relationship is more sensitive to variations of size and evolution stage than that of intensity.The relationship of SCR-ICR is largely modulated by the evolution stage.The correlation coefficient of SCR-ICR can increase from 0.25 to 0.40 when only considering the lifetime stages concurrently before and after the lifetime maximum size(LMS)and lifetime maximum intensity.This demonstrates that ICR is a potential factor in predicting SCR during these evolution stages.Besides,the TC size expansion(shrinkage)is more likely to occur for TCs with smaller(larger)size and weaker(stronger)intensity.The complexity of size change during a TC's lifetime can be attributed to the fact that shrinkage or expansion could occur both before and after LMS.