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Effects of vertical wind shear on intensity and rainfall asymmetries of strong Tropical Storm Bilis (2006)

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Abstract

The effects of environmental vertical wind shear (VWS) on the intensity and rainfall asymmetries in Tropical Storm (TS) Bilis (2006) have been analyzed based on TRMM/TMI-estimated surface rainfall data, QuikSCAT wind fields, 850- and 200-hPa winds of the NCEP-NCAR reanalysis, precipitation data at 5-min intervals from automatic weather stations over mainland China, and the best track data of TS Bilis (2006). The results show that the simultaneous and 6-hour-lagged correlation coefficients between VWS and storm intensity (the minimum central sea level pressure) are 0.59145 and 0.57438 (P < 0.01), respectively. The averaged VWS was found to be about 11 m s−1 and thus suppressed the intensification of Bilis (2006). Distribution of precipitation in Bilis (2006) was highly asymmetric. The azimuthally-averaged rainfall rate in the partial eyewall, however, was smaller than that in a major outer rainband. As the storm intensified, the major rainband showed an unusual outward propagation. The VWS had a great impact on the asymmetric distribution of precipitation. Consistent with previous modeling studies, heavy rainfall generally occurred downshear to downshear-left of the VWS vector both near and outside the eyewall, showing a strong wavenumber-one asymmetry, which was amplified as the VWS increased.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Mesoscale Severe Weather/Ministry of Education, and School of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China

    Jinhua Yu  (余锦华) & Zhemin Tan  (谈哲敏)

  2. School of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China

    Jinhua Yu  (余锦华)

  3. International Pacific Research Center and Department of Meteorology, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA

    Yuqing Wang

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  1. Jinhua Yu  (余锦华)
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  2. Zhemin Tan  (谈哲敏)
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  3. Yuqing Wang
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Correspondence to Zhemin Tan  (谈哲敏).

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Yu, J., Tan, Z. & Wang, Y. Effects of vertical wind shear on intensity and rainfall asymmetries of strong Tropical Storm Bilis (2006). Adv. Atmos. Sci. 27, 552–561 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00376-009-9030-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00376-009-9030-6

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