New insights into the poleward migration of tropical cyclones and its association with Hadley circulation

Abstract

AbstractRecent investigations have shown a robust signature of poleward migration of the tropical cyclone latitudes using observations and climate model simulations. Most of these studies invoked the role of the Hadley circulation (HC) expansion in the poleward shifting of tropical cyclones. However, none of these studies focused on the dissection of the zonally asymmetric HC into ascending and descending regions at regional scales, which holds the key in establishing the association between these two phenomena. Here, we are reporting the poleward migration of tropical cyclones and their association with ascending region boundaries of the HC at regional scales for the first time. The results emphatically show that the tropical cyclone latitudes as well as latitudes of maximum lifetime intensity vary in tandem with boundaries of the ascending region of the HC as compared to its descending region thus providing a vital clue on processes governing poleward migration of tropical cyclones.