Released 70-Year Potential Risk Index Dataset For Landfalling Tropical Cyclones Affecting Chinese Mainland

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Due to its large area, long coastline, and latitude, tropical cyclones (TCs) affect China more often than most countries across the world. In recent years, scientists believe that climate change has increased the frequency of extremely intense and disastrous TCs throughout China.

The current tropical cyclone intensity classification considers only both the minimum center pressure and the maximum wind speed near the eyewall. However, TC-induced wind and precipitation are also closely related to how much damage a TC will cause. This disparity sometimes leads to gaps between TC intensity and the level of destruction that the storm generates.

To better estimate the impact severity of landfalling TCs on the Chinese mainland, TC experts from Shanghai Typhoon Institute of China Meteorological Administration compiled a 71-year potential risk index dataset for landfalling tropical cyclones in the Chinese mainland (PRITC dataset V1.0) and published dataset description in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences

The dataset includes an index combining TC-induced precipitation and wind (IPWT), corresponding category levels based on IPWT (CAT_IPWT), an index of TC-induced wind (IWT), and an index of TC-induced precipitation (IPT). Using long-term trend analyses, this data consolidation has allowed researchers to demonstrate that TC impacts on the Chinese mainland have become more severe over time. Recent upward tendencies in annual mean IPWT values, and increases in TC-induced precipitation are the most significant contributors to larger TC impacts along coastal China.

They plan to extend the dataset each year, hoping that it will provide help to research and operational meteorologists working to mitigate tropical cyclone disasters.

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