Hurricane Hunters reveal 4 warning signs that a storm is about to strengthen
Researchers have identified four key atmospheric conditions that allow tilted tropical cyclones to vertically align and intensify. This discovery could improve the accuracy of hurricane forecasting and provide coastal communities with more time to prepare for severe storms.
Why it matters
Improved storm prediction models can save lives and property by allowing for more precise and timely evacuation orders.
Tropical cyclones generally need to become vertically organized before they can grow much stronger. That means the storm's rotating centers at different levels of the atmosphere must line up rather than remain tilted away from one another.
Using nearly three decades of observations from NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft, researchers have now identified four features that appear to help tilted tropical cyclones become vertically aligned and more capable of intensifying.
The research was led by scientists at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science, working with colleagues at NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory. Their findings suggest that successful alignment depends on several factors working together, including the storm's internal structure, the direction of surrounding winds, and environmental conditions around the cyclone.
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