| Abstract: | The tropical cyclone (TC) track data provided by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) of the
U.S. Navy over the western North Pacific (including the South China Sea) from 1945 to 2005 are employed to analyze the temporal and spatial variations of TCs of di erent intensity scales. Most of the TCs occurred between 15°and 25°N, from the northern part of the South China Sea to the eastern part of the Bashi Channel until near 140°E. Most of the severe and super typhoons occurred over waters from the eastern part of the Bashi Channel to about 140°E. The TCs in a weakening or steady state take up a weak majority in the area west of 123°E and north of 20°N; those in an intensifying or steady state are mostly found in the area east of 123°E and south of 20°N. For severe tropical storms, typhoons, severe typhoons, and super typhoons, their average decaying rates are all greater than the respective average growing rates; for tropical storms, however, the average decaying rate is smaller than the average growing rate. Generally speaking, the stronger the TC, the faster the intensi cation (weakening) is. The percentage of weak TCs is higher in June to August while that of strong TCs is higher in September to November. There are annual, interannual, and interdecadal variations in the observed number (every 6 h) and frequency of TCs at di erent intensity scales.
As far as the long-term trend is concerned, the frequency and observed number of tropical storms have a signi cant linear increase, but the averaged intensity and number of TCs of other intensity categories do not exhibit such a signi cant linear trend. In El Ni~no years, the number and percentage of super typhoons are signi cantly higher, while the total number of tropical storms, severe tropical storms, typhoons, and severe typhoons is signi cantly lower, and the mean intensity of TCs is prominently stronger; in La Ni~na years,however, the opposite comes true. |
