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  January 2006 IRI Australian Tropical Cyclone Activity Forecast

There is an enhanced probability (approximately 40%) that the number of tropical cyclones in the Australian region (105E to 165E) during the 2006 peak season (January to March) will be in the above normal category. The probability for an normal season is 35%. These probabilities are greater than the long-term average probability of 33%. The probability of a below normal season is 25%. The above normal category is defined as  9  or more named tropical cyclones, the the normal category comprises the range of 5 to 8 named tropical cyclones, and the below normal category 4 or less named tropical cyclones. This forecast is based on the IRI sea surface temperature (SST) forecast with warm SST conditions in the west-central Pacific and cold SSTs in the eastern Pacific and southeastern Indian Ocean, near Australia.

Fig. 1 - Probability Forecasts for Number of Tropical Cyclones

Background Information

The mean number of observed Autralian named tropical cyclones (1971 - 2002) in the peak season (January to March) is 7.1 with a standard deviation of 3.2. The near normal category is between 5 and 8 named tropical storms in the January-March peak season. The lowest number of tropical cyclones in the peak season during this historical period was 1 and the maximum was 13.

This outlook was produced by tracking Australian tropical cyclone-like systems in one of our operational atmospheric general circulation models (AGCMs), ECHAM4.5, forced with IRI's predicted sea surface temperatures. AGCMs are not adequate for forecasts of individual tropical cyclones. However, they can have significant skill in predicting the amount of tropical cyclone activity over specific basins, as is the case for the ECHAM4.5 over the Australian region. Due to the low-resolution (approximately 2.8 degrees longitude and latitude) model tropical cyclones are weaker and larger than observed tropical cyclones, but have an identifiable signature with many observed tropical cyclone characteristics. The model skill is due to the variability of the tropical cyclone activity being mainly determined by large-scale variables that affect that activity, such as sea surface temperatures and vertical wind shear, which can be predicted using AGCMs. The seasonal distribution of these model tropical cyclones in the Australian region is similar to that of observed tropical cyclones in the region. The amount of tropical cyclone activity of both model and observations in the Australian region is strongly influenced by ENSO.

The IRI January 2006 Australian tropical cyclone activity forecast is slightly different from the Tropical Storm Risk January 2006 statistical forecasts of Australian tropical cyclones for the 2005/2006 season (July 2005 to June 2006). The Tropical Storm Risk forecast called for a close to normal number of named tropical cyclones. It is important to notice that the definition of the Australian region is slightly different in this forecast.