Typhoon Vicente(2012) underwent rapid intensification(RI) within 24 h before landfall in China's Mainland. Analysis of the large-scale environment and characteristics of Vicente identifies the aforementioned intensification as classic RI. The process occurred in an environmental flow with a deep-layer shear ranging from 5 ms-1 to 8 ms-1. Convection caused by persistent vertical shear forcing of the vortex was observed primarily in the downshear left quadrant of the storm. However, radar and satellite observations indicate that the northern convection of the inner core of Vicente quickly developed in the down-shear right three hours near landfall.
Vertical wind shear fundamentally influences changes in tropical cyclone (TC) intensity. The effects of vertical wind shear on tropical cyclogenesis and evolution in the western North Pacific basin are not well understood. We present a new statistical study of all named TCs in this region during the period 2000-2006 using a second-generation partial least squares (PLS) regression technique. The results show that the lower-layer (between 850 hPa and 10 m above the sea surface) wind shear is more important than the commonly analyzed deep-layer shear (between 200 and 850 hPa) for changes in TC intensity during the TC intensification period. This relationship is particularly strong for westerly low-level shear. Downdrafts induced by the lower-layer shear bring low θ e air into the boundary layer from above, significantly reducing values of θ e in the TC inflow layer and weakening the TC. Large values of deep-layer shear over the ocean to the east of the Philippine Islands inhibit TC formation, while large values of lower-layer shear over the central and western North Pacific inhibit TC intensification. The critical value of deep-layer shear for TC formation is approximately 10 ms-1 , and the critical value of lower-layer shear for TC intensification is approximately ±1.5 ms-1 .
以0505号强台风"海棠"为例,利用"侵台台风之飞机侦察及下投式探空仪观测实验"(Dropsonde Observations for Typhoon Surveillance near the Taiwan Region,DOTSTAR)提供的高垂直分辨率GPS下投式探空仪(Dropsonde)观测资料,研究和比较了2次观测时段"海棠"的动力及热力结构差异,结果表明,第2次观测时的"海棠"在气旋式入流的强度和范围、高层暖区的强度和范围等方面均较第1次明显增强和扩大,且"海棠"环流的顶层发展出了一定强度和厚度的反气旋出流,加上"海棠"逐步移入高海温区和处于有利的弱垂直风切变环境中,"海棠"进一步增强;其次,用该观测资料对Frank等1999和2001年的数值模拟结果(垂直风切变通过激发热带气旋眼墙内部垂直运动的一波不对称结构而导致热带气旋结构的不对称分布)进行了验证。结果表明,观测分析结果与Frank等的数值模拟结果能较好地吻合,解释了环境垂直风切变对台风不对称结构的可能影响。
A heavy rainfall process, which occurred in Shanghai during 5-6 August, 2001 from a landfalling tropical depression (TD),is examined with a control numerical experiment based on MM5 model. It is found that the contours of generalized equivalent potential temperature (θ*) are almost vertical with respect to horizontal surfaces near the TD center and more densely distributed than those of equivalent potential temperature (θe).Because the atmosphere is non-uniformly saturated in reality, θ* takes the place of θe in the definition of convective vorticity vector (CVV) so that a new vector, namely the generalized convective vorticity vector (CVV*), is applied in this study. Since CVV* can reflect both the secondary circulation and the variation of horizontal moist baroclinicity, the vertical integration of vertical component of CVV* is found, in this study, to represent the rainfall areas in the TD case better than potential vorticity (PV), moist potential vorticity (MPV), generalized moist potential vorticity (Pm), and CVV, with high-value area of CVV* corresponding to heavy-rainfall area. Moreover, the analysis from CVV* implies that the Hangzhou Bay might play an important role in the heavy rain process. A sensitivity experiment without the Hangzhou Bay is then designed and compared with the control run. It is found that the CVV* becomes weaker than that in the control run, implying that the elimination of Hangzhou Bay results in reduced rainfall. Further analyses show that the Hangzhou Bay provides sufficient water vapor and surface heat flux to the TD system, which is very important to the genesis and development of mesoscale cloud clusters around the TD and the associated heavy rainfall.
In order to provide an operational reference for tropical cyclone precipitation forecast,this study investigates the spatial distributions of precipitation associated with landfalling tropical cyclones(TCs) affecting China using Geostationary Meteorological Satellite 5(GMS5)-TBB dataset.All named TCs formed over the western North Pacific that made direct landfall over China during the period 2001-2009 are included in this study.Based on the GMS5-TBB data,this paper reveals that in general there are four types of distribution of precipitation related to landfalling TCs affecting China.(a) the South-West Type in which there is a precipitation maximum to the southwestern quadrant of TC;(b) the Symmetrical South Type in which the rainfall is more pronounced to the south side of TC in the inner core while there is a symmetrical rainfall distribution in the outer band region;(c) the South Type,in which the rainfall maxima is more pronounced to the south of TC;and(d) the North Type,in which the rainfall maxima is more pronounced to the north of TC.Analyses of the relationship between precipitation distributions and intensity of landfalling TCs show that for intensifying TCs,both the maximum and the coverage area of the precipitation in TCs increase with the increase of TC intensity over northern Jiangsu province and southern Taiwan Strait,while decreasing over Beibu Gulf and the sea area of Changjiang River estuary.For all TCs,the center of the torrential rain in TC shifts toward the TC center as the intensity of TC increases.This finding is consistent with many previous studies.The possible influences of storm motion and vertical wind shear on the observed precipitation asymmetries are also examined.Results show that the environmental vertical wind shear is an important factor contributing to the large downshear rainfall asymmetry,especially when a TC makes landfall on the south and east China coasts.These results are also consistent with previous observational and numerical studies.
