Four plots showing overshooting top density within six times of the radius of maximum wind as a function of normalized radius for different typhoons going through rapid intensification by day and night separated in groups based on typhoon intensity.
Overshooting top (OT) density (OT number per 100km x 100km per satellite scan) within six times of the radius of maximum wind (RMW) as a function of normalized radius (r/RMW), for different typhoons going through rapid intensification (RI) by day and night separated in groups based on typhoon intensity (Vmax) for RI typhoons: (a) All (Vmax>33 kt), (b) T0 (33kt < Vmax<=63kt), (c) T1 (63kt < Vmax< 96kt) and (d) T2 (Vmax>=96kt). Credit: Sun et al. [2021], Figure 4
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Source: Geophysical Research Letters

Overshooting tops are a proxy for deep convection in clouds. Using Himawari-8 satellite images, overshooting tops were identified in 45 typhoons and their diurnal variation was analyzed by Sun et al. [2021]. Strong typhoons and typhoons going through rapid intensification (RI) have a greater density of overshooting tops, than weaker typhoons, as well as those intensifying slowly or weakening. Furthermore, RI typhoons have a greater diurnal variation in overshooting top density than non-rapid intensifying typhoons. The results point to overshooting top density as a potential indicator for estimating changes in typhoon intensity and could potentially be used in the improvement of both diagnosis and prediction of typhoon intensity in the future.

Citation: Sun, L., Tang, X., Zhuge, X., Tan, Z.-M., & Fang, J. [2021]. Diurnal variation of overshooting tops in typhoons detected by Himawari-8 satellite. Geophysical Research Letters, 48, e2021GL095565. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL095565

—Suzana Camargo, Editor, Geophysical Research Letters

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