Tropical Cyclones: Forecasting Advances, Science Opportunities and Operational Challenges

Abstract:

Although skill in forecasting the tracks of tropical cyclones (TCs) by operational forecast centers have improved steadily over the last 25 years, corresponding forecasts of TC intensity have shown little improvement until recently. These recent improvements in TC intensity forecasts appear to be related to a combination of better data assimilation, improved physics, and increased resolution in global operational numerical weather prediction models and new knowledge gained from a variety of recent TC-related field programs such as BGRIP, IFEX,and PREDICT. The first part of this presentation will briefly review the state of the art of TC track and intensity forecasting. The bulk of this presentation will address important TC-related science and operational challenges. These challenges include: 1) determining the physical processes that govern TC clustering, mutually interacting TCs, and the existence of different TC genesis pathways, 2) establishing how tropical-midlatitude interactions associated with recurving and transitioning (extratropical transition) TCs can trigger downstream baroclinic development, the subsequent formation of eastward-propagating Rossby wave trains, and the ensuing occurrence of extreme weather events well downstream, and 3) identifying critical TC-related forecast problems such as forecasts of the timing and extent of coastal storm surges and inland flooding associated with landfalling TCs). These important science and operational challenges will be illustrated with brief case studies.