SpringerLink
Log in

Climatology of tropical cyclone tornadoes in China from 2006 to 2018

  • Research Paper
  • Published:
Science China Earth Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We surveyed the occurrence of tropical cyclone (TC) tornadoes in China from 2006 to 2018. There were 64 cataloged TC tornadoes, with an average of five per year. About one-third of the landfalling TCs in China were tornadic. Consistent with previous studies, TC tornadoes preferentially formed in the afternoon shortly before and within about 36 h after landfall of the TCs. These tornadoes mainly occurred in coastal areas with relatively flat terrains. The maximum number of TC tornadoes occurred in Jiangsu and Guangdong provinces. Most of the TC tornadoes were spawned within 500 km of the TC center. Two notable characteristics were found: (1) TC tornadoes in China mainly occurred in the northeast quadrant (Earth-relative coordinates) rather than the right-front quadrant (TC motion-relative coordinates) of the parent TC circulation; and (2) most tornadoes were produced by TCs with a relatively weak intensity (tropical depressions/storms), in contrast with the United States where most tornadoes are associated with stronger TCs. Further analyses showed that TC tornadoes in China tend to be spawned in an environment with large low-level storm relative helicity and large convective available potential energy taking entrainment effects into account. TC tornadoes were particularly active in 2018, with 24 reported tornadoes accounting for 37.5% of the total surveyed samples. The first recorded tornado outbreak in the modern history of China occurred in the envelope of TC Yagi (2018), in which 11 tornadoes were reported in association with significant midlevel intrusions of dry air and the interaction of Yagi with an approaching midlatitude midlevel trough.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
EUR 32.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or Ebook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • American Meteorological Society. 2018. Tornado outbreak. Glossary of Meteorology. Available online at http://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Tornado_outbreak

  • Bai L Q, Meng Z Y, Huang L, Yan L J, Li Z H, Mai X H, Huang Y P, Yao D, Wang X. 2017. An integrated damage, visual, and radar analysis of the 2015 Foshan, Guangdong, EF3 tornado in China produced by the landfalling Typhoon Mujigae (2015). Bull Amer Meteorol Soc, 98: 2619–2640

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barbour G B. 1924. Waterspout and tornado within a typhoon area. Mon Weather Rev, 52: 106–107

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen J Y, Cai X H, Wang H Y, Kang L, Zhang H S, Song Y, Zhu H, Zheng W, Li F J. 2018. Tornado climatology of China. Int J Climatol, 38: 2478–2489

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen L S, Ding Y H. 1979. An Introduction to the Western Pacific Typhoon (in Chinese). Bei**g: Science Press. 491

    Google Scholar 

  • Curtis L. 2004. Midlevel dry intrusions as a factor in tornado outbreaks associated with landfalling tropical cyclones from the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. Weather Forecast, 19: 411–427

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davies-Jones R. 1984. Streamwise vorticity: The origin of updraft rotation in supercell storms. J Atmos Sci, 41: 2991–3006

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eastin M D, Link M C. 2009. Miniature supercells in an offshore outer rainband of Hurricane Ivan (2004). Mon Weather Rev, 137: 2081–2104

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Edwards R. 2012. Tropical cyclone tornadoes: A review of knowledge in research and prediction. Electronic J Severe Storms Meteorol, 7: 1–61

    Google Scholar 

  • Fan W J, Yu X D. 2015. Characteristics of spatial-temporal distribution of tornadoes in China (in Chinese). Meteorol Mon, 41: 793–805

    Google Scholar 

  • Galway J G. 1977. Some climatological aspects of tornado outbreaks. Mon Weather Rev, 105: 477–484

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gao S, Wang D L, Hong H X, Wu N G, Li T. 2018. Evaluation of warm-core structure in reanalysis and satellite data sets using HS3 dropsonde observations: A case study of Hurricane Edouard (2014). J Geophys Res-Atmos, 123: 6713–6731

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gentry R C. 1983. Genesis of tornadoes associated with hurricanes. Mon Weather Rev, 111: 1793–1805

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hill E L, Malkin W, Schulz Jr W A. 1966. Tornadoes associated with cyclones of tropical origin-practical features. J Appl Meteorol, 5: 745–763

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huang X X, Yan L J, Wang S F, Cheng Z Q. 2014. Analysis of the characteristics of tornados in Foshan city and their circulation background (in Chinese). Guangdong Meteorol, 36: 20–24

    Google Scholar 

  • Knupp K R, Murphy TA, Coleman TA, Wade R A, Mullins S A, Schultz C J, Schultz E V, Carey L, Sherrer A, McCaul Jr. E W, Carcione B, Latimer S, Kula A, Laws K, Marsh P T, Klockow K. 2014. Meteorological overview of the devastating 27 April 2011 tornado outbreak. Bull Amer Meteorol Soc, 95: 1041–1062

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lyons S W. 2004. U.S. Tropical cyclone landfall variability: 1950–2002. Weather Forecast, 19: 473–480

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ma Z Z, Maddy E S, Zhang B L, Zhu T, Boukabara S A. 2017. Impact Assessment of Himawari-8 AHI Data Assimilation in NCEP GDAS/GFS with GSI. J Atmos Ocean Technol, 34: 797–815

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCaul Jr E W. 1987. Observations of the Hurricane “Danny” tornado outbreak of 16 August 1985. Mon Weather Rev, 115: 1206–1223

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCaul Jr E W. 1991. Buoyancy and shear characteristics of hurricane-tornado environments. Mon Weather Rev, 119: 1954–1978

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meng Z Y, Yan D C, Zhang Y J. 2013. General features of squall lines in East China. Mon Weather Rev, 141: 1629–1647

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meng Z Y, Bai L Q, Zhang M R, Wu Z F, Li Z H, Pu M J, Zheng Y G, Wang X H, Yao D, Xue M, Zhao K, Li Z M, Peng S Q, Li L Y. 2018. The deadliest tornado (EF4) in the past 40 years in China. Weather Forecast, 33: 693–713

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mitsuta Y. 1983. Studies on wind disasters caused by tatsumaki (tornadoes and waterspouts) and severe local storms in Japan (in Japanese with English abstract). Final Report of the Special Research Project for Natural Disaster Sponsored by the Ministry of Education. 124

  • Niino H, Fujitani T, Watanabe N. 1997. A statistical study of tornadoes and waterspouts in Japan from 1961 to 1993. J Clim, 10: 1730–1752

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Novlan D J, Gray W M. 1974. Hurricane-spawned tornadoes. Mon Weather Rev, 102: 476–488

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rasmussen E N. 2003. Refined supercell and tornado forecast parameters. Weather Forecast, 18: 530–535

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Romps D M, Kuang Z. 2010. Do undiluted convective plumes exist in the upper tropical troposphere? J Atmos Sci, 67: 468–484

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schultz L A, Cecil D J. 2009. Tropical cyclone tornadoes, 1950–2007. Mon Weather Rev, 137: 3471–3484

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shen S. 1990. A preliminary analysis of the general characteristics and formation conditions of tornadoes ahead of typhoons. Meteorol Mon, 16: 11–16

    Google Scholar 

  • Spratt S M, Sharp D W, Welsh P, Sandrik A, Alsheimer F, Paxton C. 1997. A WSR-88D assessment of tropical cyclone outer rainband tornadoes. Weather Forecast, 12: 479–501

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sueki K, Niino H. 2016. Toward better assessment of tornado potential in typhoons: Significance of considering entrainment effects for CAPE. Geophys Res Lett, 43: 12597–12604

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Suzuki O, Niino H, Ohno H, Nirasawa H. 2000. Tornado-producing mini supercells associated with Typhoon 9019. Mon Weather Rev, 128: 1868–1882

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thompson R L, Edwards R, Hart J A, Elmore K L, Markowski P M. 2003. Close proximity soundings within supercell environments obtained from the Rapid Update Cycle. Weather Forecast, 18: 1243–1261

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thompson R L, Mead C M, Edwards R. 2007. Effective storm-relative helicity and bulk shear in supercell thunderstorm environments. Weather Forecast, 22: 102–115

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thompson R L, Smith B T, Grams J S, Dean A R, Broyles C. 2012. Convective modes for significant severe thunderstorms in the contiguous United States. Part II: Supercell and QLCS tornado environments. Weather Forecast, 27: 1136–1154

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tochimoto E, Sueki K, Niino H. 2019. Entraining CAPE for better assessment of tornado outbreak potential in the warm sector of extratropical cyclones. Mon Weather Rev, 147: 913–930

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Verbout S M, Schultz D M, Leslie L M, Brooks H E, Karoly D J, Elmore K L. 2007. Tornado outbreaks associated with landfalling hurricanes in the North Atlantic Basin: 1954–2004. Meteorol Atmos Phys, 97: 255–271

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vescio M D, Weiss S J, Ostby F P. 1996. Tornadoes associated with Tropical Storm Beryl. Miami: 21st Conf on Hurricanes and Tropical Meteorology. 469–471

  • Weiss S J. 1987. Some climatological aspects of forecasting tornadoes associated with tropical cyclones. Miami: 17th Conf on Hurricanes and Tropical Meteor. 160–163

  • Yao D, Liang X D, Meng Q, Li J, Wu C, **e Z S, Chen D D, Guo J P. 2019. Importance of identifying tropical cyclone tornadoes in typhoon warning and defense systems. Chin Sci Bull, 64: 143–145

    Google Scholar 

  • Ying M, Zhang W, Yu H, Lu X Q, Feng J X, Fan Y X, Zhu Y T, Chen D Q. 2014. An overview of the China Meteorological Administration tropical cyclone database. J Atmos Ocean Technol, 31: 287–301

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao K, Wang M J, Xue M, Fu P L, Yang Z L, Chen X M, Zhang Y, Lee W C, Zhang F Q, Lin Q, Li Z H. 2017. Doppler radar analysis of a tornadic miniature supercell during the landfall of Typhoon Mujigae (2015) in South China. Bull Amer Meteorol Soc, 98: 1821–1831

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zheng Y, Yu X D, Ren F M, Cai Q B. 2017. Analysis on a severe tornado process in Hainan triggered by supercell (in Chinese). Meteorol Mon, 43: 675–685

    Google Scholar 

  • Zheng Y Y, Zhang B, Wang X H, Sun K Y, Mu R Q, **a W M. 2015. Analysis of typhoon-tornado weather background and radar echo structure (in Chinese). Meteorol Mon, 41: 942–952

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank the numerous people who shared their valuable tornado information (online or privately), including photographs and videos of tornadoes. Special thanks are given to Jiayi Chen from Peking University for providing the tornado database (Chen et al., 2018) and to Zhengzhao Johnny Luo from the City University of New York for helpful comments. We also acknowledge Lijun Yan, Zhaoming Li and Kanglong Cai from the Foshan Tornado Research Center for sharing some of the information on tornadoes. Additional gratitude is extended to the three anonymous reviewers who have greatly aided in the improvement of this work. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41875051, 41425018 & 41775094), the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (Grant No. 2019M653146) and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science KAKENHI (Grant No. JP18H01277).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Atmospheric Sciences, and Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Climate Change and Natural Disaster Studies, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China

    Lanqiang Bai & Guixing Chen

  2. Laboratory for Climate and Ocean-Atmosphere Studies, Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, School of Physics, Peking University, Bei**g, 100871, China

    Lanqiang Bai, Zhiyong Meng & Ruilin Zhou

  3. Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, 519000, China

    Lanqiang Bai & Guixing Chen

  4. RIKEN Center for Computational Science, Kobe, 650-0047, Japan

    Kenta Sueki

Authors
  1. Lanqiang Bai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Zhiyong Meng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Kenta Sueki
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Guixing Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Ruilin Zhou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zhiyong Meng.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Bai, L., Meng, Z., Sueki, K. et al. Climatology of tropical cyclone tornadoes in China from 2006 to 2018. Sci. China Earth Sci. 63, 37–51 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-019-9391-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-019-9391-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation