Summary: When tropical cyclones move out of the tropics toward the poles, they reach areas where fronts exist and where the ocean, whose warm water fuels tropical storms, is relatively cool. When this happens, the storms go through extratropical transition (ET) and become like other storms in the mid latitudes. The storms can cause catastrophic damage and loss of life, as in the cases of Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and Typhoon Sinlaku in 2008. This first part of a two-part review updates previous work on ET. New ways of analyzing and forecasting storms undergoing ET and in understanding ET’s impact are discussed. The review ends with recommendations for further research to improve forecasts and save lives and property during these events.
You can read the full review at http://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/abs/10.1175/MWR-D-17-0027.1.
