Tropical cyclone forecast verification - northern hemisphere 2013
A summary of tropical cyclone activity in the Northern Hemisphere for the 2013 season together with an assessment of the performance of the Met Office global model in predicting the tracks of these tropical cyclones.
1. Introduction
A summary of tropical cyclone activity in the Northern Hemisphere for the 2013 season is presented below together with an assessment of the performance of the Met Office global model in predicting the tracks of these tropical cyclones.
Tropical cyclones are experienced in the North Pacific, North Atlantic and North Indian Oceans and nearby tropical seas. For the purpose of tropical cyclone verification the northern hemisphere is divided in to four basins; the North-West Pacific (west of 180° E to the Malay Peninsula), the North-East Pacific (east of 180° E), the North Atlantic and the North Indian Ocean (west of the Malay Peninsula). Mean error statistics for each basin are presented together with a table of statistics for the whole Northern Hemisphere. Verification is performed at 12-hour intervals up to forecast time T+168, although statistics are only presented at 24-hour intervals in this report. The global model resolution in operation during the season was 0.3515625° × 0.234375° × 70 levels. This is equivalent to a horizontal resolution of 39 km × 26 km at the equator.
Tropical cyclone forecast verification - measures of error
Advisory positions received in real time from RSMC Tokyo, JTWC Hawaii, NHC Miami and CPHC Honolulu are used as verifying observations of storm location. Best track data from these centres will be obtained once they become available. Past experience shows that use of best track rather than real time data usually only makes minor differences to seasonal error statistics. Some mean error statistics for last season are also included for the purposes of a comparison. Forecast tracks are only verified when a depression reaches tropical storm status.
2. Tropical cyclone activity
| NWP | NEP | NAT | NI | TOTAL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical depressions (<34 knots) | 7(2) | 1(0) | 1(0) | 0(0) | 9(2) |
| Tropical storms (34-63 knots) | 12(9) | 11(7) | 12(9) | 4(4) | 39(29) |
| Hurricanes/typhoons (>63 knots) | 15(16) | 9(10) | 2(10) | 3(0) | 29(36) |
| Total | 34(24) | 21(17) | 15(19) | 7(4) | 77(67) |
Categories assigned based on 1-minute averaged winds
Basin name abbreviations:NWP : North-west Pacific (west of 180° E)
NEP : North-east Pacific (east of 180° E)
NAT : North Atlantic
NI : North Indian (west of Malay Peninsula)
The number in brackets indicates the figure for the 2012 season.
3. Summary of all northern hemisphere storms
3.1 North-west Pacific basin storms
| T+0 | T+24 | T+48 | T+72 | T+96 | T+120 | T+144 | T+168 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Possibly verified | 257 | 196 | 142 | 94 | 60 | 33 | 15 | 7 |
| Detection rate (%) | 100 | 95 | 94 | 91 | 88 | 91 | 80 | 71 |
| AT error (km) | 5 | -28 | -46 | -54 | -121 | -115 | 109 | 712 |
| CT error (km) | -8 | -8 | -27 | -26 | -13 | 49 | 130 | 527 |
| Track skill (%) | ***** | 50 | 62 | 68 | ***** | ***** | ***** | ***** |
| * 2012 skill (%) | ***** | 54 | 60 | 56 | ***** | ***** | ***** | ***** |
| DPE (km) | 46 | 86 | 157 | 216 | 332 | 540 | 909 | 1149 |
| * 2012 DPE (km) | 51 | 98 | 181 | 291 | 409 | 477 | 609 | 752 |
| Intensity skill (%) | ***** | 36 | 16 | 9 | 17 | -7 | 50 | -60 |
* DPE and skill for all north-west Pacific storms in 2012 season
Plot of the observed tracks of all storms in the north-west Pacific basin
Forecast positional errors in the north-west Pacific basin
Forecast skill in the north-west Pacific basin
2013 saw more storms than 2012, but fewer verifiable forecasts. Track forecast errors were lower than last season at short lead times, but higher at longer lead times. Skill against CLIPER was the highest ever recorded. The intensity tendency skill was 24% overall.
3.2 North-east Pacific basin storms
| T+0 | T+24 | T+48 | T+72 | T+96 | T+120 | T+144 | T+168 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Possibly verified | 115 | 75 | 50 | 37 | 25 | 16 | 10 | 6 |
| Detection rate (%) | 100 | 85 | 84 | 62 | 60 | 63 | 70 | 100 |
| AT error (km) | -8 | 2 | 32 | 65 | 77 | 65 | 50 | 51 |
| CT error (km) | -15 | 2 | 1 | -41 | -73 | -175 | -241 | -446 |
| Track skill (%) | ***** | 27 | 45 | 41 | ***** | ***** | ***** | ***** |
| * 2012 skill (%) | ***** | 14 | 42 | 47 | ***** | ***** | ***** | ***** |
| DPE (km) | 63 | 112 | 171 | 269 | 305 | 418 | 502 | 559 |
| * 2012 DPE (km) | 49 | 98 | 158 | 198 | 218 | 341 | 305 | 201 |
| Intensity skill (%) | ***** | 47 | 38 | 22 | 73 | 20 | 71 | 33 |
* DPE and skill for all north-east Pacific storms in 2012 season
Plot of the observed tracks of all storms in the north-east Pacific basin
Forecast positional errors in the north-east Pacific basin
Forecast skill in the north-east Pacific basin
There were a greater number of storms in this region in 2013, but the many of these were shorter lived than in 2012. Track forecast errors were higher than the last two seasons at almost all lead times. However, skill scores against CLIPER were little different to last season. There was a very slight fast bias in forecasts and a left-of-track bias at longer lead times. The intensity tendency skill was 40% overall.
3.3 North Atlantic basin storms
| T+0 | T+24 | T+48 | T+72 | T+96 | T+120 | T+144 | T+168 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Possibly verified | 92 | 63 | 39 | 18 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 6 |
| Detection rate (%) | 100 | 90 | 85 | 94 | 100 | 100 | 89 | 100 |
| AT error (km) | 2 | 5 | 33 | 21 | 125 | 220 | 239 | 212 |
| CT error (km) | 0 | -9 | -26 | -19 | 75 | 140 | 266 | 322 |
| Track skill (%) | ***** | 63 | 74 | 76 | ***** | ***** | ***** | ***** |
| * 2012 skill (%) | ***** | 60 | 67 | 65 | ***** | ***** | ***** | ***** |
| DPE (km) | 45 | 87 | 145 | 209 | 221 | 340 | 514 | 579 |
| * 2012 DPE (km) | 36 | 85 | 158 | 240 | 334 | 507 | 592 | 827 |
| Intensity skill (%) | ***** | 75 | 70 | 76 | 83 | 80 | 50 | 0 |
* DPE and skill for all North Atlantic storms in 2012 season
Plot of the observed tracks of all storms in the North Atlantic basin
Forecast positional errors in the North Atlantic basin
Forecast skill in the North Atlantic basin
2013 had many storm lived storms, but activity was very low in terms of verifiable forecasts. Track forecast errors were the lowest ever achieved at most lead times. Skill scores against CLIPER were also the highest ever achieved. There was a fast bias at longer lead times. The intensity tendency skill score was 65% overall.
3.4 North Indian Basin Storms
| T+0 | T+24 | T+48 | T+72 | T+96 | T+120 | T+144 | T+168 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Possibly verified | 55 | 43 | 31 | 20 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Detection rate (%) | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | ***** |
| AT error (km) | -29 | -62 | -57 | 1 | 185 | 299 | -429 | ***** |
| CT error (km) | 11 | 10 | 19 | 93 | 70 | -71 | -443 | ***** |
| Track skill (%) | ***** | 17 | 26 | 14 | ***** | ***** | ***** | ***** |
| * 2012 skill (%) | ***** | 31 | ***** | ***** | ***** | ***** | ***** | ***** |
| DPE (km) | 70 | 138 | 221 | 323 | 440 | 501 | 617 | ***** |
| * 2012 DPE (km) | 121 | 215 | 243 | ***** | ***** | ***** | ***** | ***** |
| Intensity skill (%) | ***** | 63 | 48 | 50 | 33 | -20 | 100 | ***** |
* DPE and skill for all North Indian storms in 2012 season
Plot of the observed tracks of all storms in the North Indian basin
Forecast positional errors in the North Indian basin
Forecast skill in the North Indian basin
Cyclone activity picked up in 2013 after a few inactive seasons. Track forecast errors were close to long term averages. The intensity tendency skill was 46% overall.
3.5 Combined statistics for whole northern hemisphere
| T+0 | T+24 | T+48 | T+72 | T+96 | T+120 | T+144 | T+168 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Possibly verified | 519 | 377 | 262 | 169 | 109 | 64 | 35 | 19 |
| Detection rate (%) | 100 | 93 | 91 | 86 | 84 | 86 | 80 | 89 |
| AT error (km) | -2 | -21 | -23 | -19 | -17 | 16 | 112 | 302 |
| CT error (km) | -6 | -4 | -16 | -11 | 0 | 14 | 56 | 111 |
| Track skill (%) | ***** | 46 | 59 | 62 | ***** | ***** | ***** | ***** |
| * 2012 skill (%) | ***** | 52 | 61 | 59 | ***** | ***** | ***** | ***** |
| DPE (km) | 52 | 97 | 166 | 238 | 327 | 478 | 684 | 739 |
| * 2012 DPE (km) | 46 | 94 | 170 | 259 | 361 | 485 | 592 | 787 |
| Intensity skill (%) | ***** | 48 | 31 | 25 | 37 | 13 | 57 | -6 |
* DPE and skill for all northern hemisphere storms in 2012 season
Forecast positional errors for the whole northern hemisphere
Forecast skill for the whole northern hemisphere
Along-track errors for the whole northern hemisphere
Cross-track errors for the whole northern hemisphere
Intensity skill for the whole northern hemisphere.
Overall, activity in the northern hemisphere in 2013 was lower than last year despite a greater number of storms. many of these were short-lived. Track forecast errors were the lowest ever at many lead times. Skill scores against CLIPER were slightly below large season's highest ever values at most lead times. Forecast biases were small at all but the longest lead times. Detection percentages were as low as 80% at longer times, but this may in part be due to a change to more stringent measures of storm detection during the season. The intensity tendency skill was 36% overall, which is lower than last season.
4. Further tropical cyclone information
The Weather and climate change contain information on tropical cyclone forecasting at the Met Office. Monthly updates of tropical cyclone activity and forecasts are made, together with observed and forecast track information of recent storms, track prediction error statistics, lists of names and real time tropical cyclone forecast guidance.
Seasonal summaries of tropical cyclone activity and forecasts have been issued since the 1994-5 Southern Hemisphere season. To obtain these or any further information on tropical cyclone forecasting email the Met Office.
