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China

STI of CMA and HKO conduct manned dual-aircraft typhoon observation

On 24 September, Shanghai Typhoon Institute (STI) of the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) and the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) jointly conducted manned dual-aircraft observation of the tropical depression in the South China Sea for the first time. The manned aircraft of STI carried out observation with airborne observation equipment, and HKO aircraft executed drop sounding operation, forming dual-aircraft synergistic observations at different altitudes at the same time, and successfully obtained the characteristics of aerosols and cloud particles at different altitudes within the tropical disturbance in the South China Sea.

China is affected by an average of 8 to 10 typhoons per year, and the Northwest Pacific coast, namely, the Asia-Pacific region, is most susceptible to the impact of tropical cyclone disasters globally. Boosting typhoon observation capability in Asia-Pacific region, in particular, aircraft observation, is the key and breakthrough to further ramp up typhoon forecasting capability.

It is informed that in 2022, STI officially launched the project of manned aircraft typhoon observation, which planned to carry out in-situ observation of the internal structure of typhoons.

By means of collaboration with a handful of domestic institutions, STI has been equipped with the capacity to conduct observations of the internal structure of typhoon and interactions between the sea and the atmosphere.

In November, 2023, STI organized related departments to conduct performance experiment of the sounding system, and achieved good results.

Editor: LIU Shuqiao