Observations of wind and turbulence structures of Super Typhoons Hato and Mangkhut over land from a 356 m high meteorological tower

Knowledge of tropical cyclone (TC, or typhoon, hurricane) boundary layer over land is of vital importance to a variety of applications such as track and intensity forecasts of TCs and design of civil structures and infrastructures. On the basis of the 356-m-high Shenzhen Meteorological Gradient Tower which is the tallest of its kind in Asia, this paper presents an observational study of wind and turbulence structure of two Super Typhoons, namely Hato in 2017 and Mangkhut in 2018. First, the mean wind speed profiles, momentum flux, and drag coefficient are analyzed, and their correlations with upwind terrain and wind speed are discussed. Then, the characteristics of wind spectra are investigated and compared with existing spectral models. Subsequently, wind speed variances and turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) are inspected, and their variations with height are examined. Last, the characteristics and vertical profiles of TKE budget are explored. The outcome of this study is expected to enhance the understanding of TC boundary layer over land, provide useful information for the design of civil structures and infrastructures, benefit the numerical simulation of landfalling TCs, and facilitate the TC hazard prevention in coastal regions.

Automated summary

This paper presents an observational study of wind and turbulence structure of two Super Typhoons using the Shenzhen Meteorological Gradient Tower. The study analyzes the characteristics of wind and turbulence, including mean wind speed profiles, momentum flux, drag coefficient, wind spectra, wind speed variances, turbulent kinetic energy, and TKE budget. The results enhance the understanding of TC boundary layer over land and provide useful information for civil structures and infrastructures design, numerical simulation of landfalling TCs, and TC hazard prevention in coastal regions.