A decade (2011–2020) of tropical cyclone reconnaissance flights over the South China Sea. (9th February 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hon, Kai‐kwong; Chan, Pak Wai
• Is Part Of: Weather. Volume 77:Number 9(2022)
• Page Start: 308
• Page End: 314
• Publication Date: 2022-02-09
• Subjects: Meteorology -- Periodicals; Weather -- Great Britain -- Periodicals; 551.1
• DOI: 10.1002/wea.4154
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0043-1656

Abstract

Abstract : A decade has passed since the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) and the Government Flying Service (GFS) jointly commenced operational tropical cyclone (TC) reconnaissance over the South China Sea in 2011, currently the only such programme in the region and a first since the USA terminated aircraft reconnaissance in the western North Pacific in 1987. This paper reviews the HKO–GFS flights between 2011 and 2020, including 24 storm‐penetrating flights down to 2000ft and 28 dropsonde missions resulting in 190 profiling measurements, which have supported operational forecasting and warning of TCs as well as contributed to scientific research and regional collaboration.