Different El Niño types and intense typhoons in the Western North Pacific

Abstract

This study shows that the occurrence of intense typhoons in the western North Pacific is significantly higher in the autumns of the Central Pacific (CP), compared to Eastern Pacific El Niño years. Specifically, (1) The higher occurrence of intense typhoons in CP El Niño autumns is related to a longer typhoon lifespan, maximum potential intensity, ocean heat content, vertical shear of the zonal wind (850–200 hPa), outgoing long-wave radiation, and moist static energy averaged over 1,000–500 hPa. (2) A longer typhoon lifespan in CP El Niño autumns is caused by the westward shift of the subtropical high, which tends to steer typhoon to the west and northwest.