Tropical cyclone track predictability

Summary

In this study an attempt is made to estimate theinherent limits to tropical cyclone mean absolute track position errors out to 72 hours ahead and to compare these estimates with the position errors currently being obtained inpractice at weather centres around the world. A knowledge of the magnitude of the difference between the lower limit to predictability and that being achieved with state-of-the-art numerical weather prediction (NWP) models is of vital importance. A small difference would indicate that there is little further need for continued initiatives in the prediction of tropical cyclone tracks. On the other hand, a large difference would imply either that the problem requires continued emphasis or if there has been no significant trend towards reducing the forecast track errors, that present research and development techniques need to be extended or new procedures developed.

It was found that the difference between the inherent and practical limits of tropical cyclone track position errors is presently about 35 to 40 per cent for advanced baroclinic NWP systems, a moderate to large difference, and one that is almost invariant between tropical cyclone basins. For simpler models, such as barotropic models, the difference is closer to 45 per cent but is again almost invariant. As far as the authors are aware, these are the first estimates of the lower bounds of tropical cyclone track predictability. Finally, very recent research studies with emerging range of high quality data, high density data sources, improved models and new data assimilation techniques suggest that the difference possibly is now down to about 30 to 35 per cent. This value is encouragingly small but still large enough to continue active research programs in improving tropical cyclone motion prediction. Much of the forecast track errors now come from major forecast errors associated with tropical cyclones that follow erratic tracks.