The Impact of Intra-Seasonal Oscillation on Westward Track Deflection of Super Typhoon Fitow (2013)

Abstract

Typhoon Fitow (2013) took an unusual westward track deflection after a lengthy northward movement over the western North Pacific (WNP). Based on observation and wave analysis, it is found that the track deflection of Fitow is attributed to the transition of environmental flow from meridional to zonal orientation, which is closely associated with a low-frequency intra-seasonal oscillation (ISO). Furthermore, the impact of ISO on tropical cyclone (TC) unusual movement is investigated using the Advanced Research version of Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF-ARW) model. The control simulation (CTL) reproduces well the synoptic pattern and track deflection of the TC. The TC moves straightly westward and northwestward without track deflection in the sensitivity experiments with the removal of total ISOs and the west-propagating ISO component, while keeping the recurving track with the removal of east-propagating ISO, which suggests that the west-propagating ISO plays a dominant role in the westward track deflection. In the experiment of removing west-propagating ISOs, an anomalous southeast–northwest-oriented wave train around the TC is modified, the mid-latitude trough decays, and the enhanced zonally elongated subtropical high is responsible for the straight northwestward motion of the TC. However, after removing a weaker convection anomaly associated with east-propagating ISOs in the form of a southwest–northeast oriented dipole circulation, the TC is affected by a sustained shallow mid-latitude trough and a west-extended ridge of subtropical high to keep the cyclonic track turning analogous to the counterpart in CTL. The piecewise potential vorticity inversion diagnosis further assesses the contribution of the different ISO components to TC track deflection.