Anomaly-Based Variable Models: Examples of Unusual Track and Extreme Precipitation of Tropical Cyclones

Abstract

Tropical cyclones (TCs) can cause severe wind and rain hazards. Unusual TC tracks and their extreme precipitation forecasts have become two difficult problems faced by conventional models of primitive equations. The case study in this paper finds that the numerical computation of the climatological component in conventional models restricts the prediction of unusual TC tracks. The climatological component should be a forcing quantity, not a predictor in the numerical integration of all models. Anomaly-based variable models can overcome the bottleneck of forecast time length or the one-week forecasting barrier, which is limited to less than one week for conventional models. The challenge in extreme precipitation forecasting is how to physically get the vertical velocity. The anomalous moisture stress modulus (AMSM), as an indicator of heavy rainfall presented in this paper, considers the two conditions associated with vertical velocity and anomalous specific humidity in the lower troposphere. Vertical velocity is produced by the orthogonal collision of horizontal anomalous airflows.

Keywords

• tropical cyclone
• anomalous track
• extreme precipitation
• anomaly-based variable
• orthogonal collision
• one-week forecasting barrier