Tropical cyclone activity in the northwestern Pacific associated with decaying Central Pacific El Niños

In this study, a comparative analysis was performed to reveal the relationship between the three types of temporal evolution of the Central Pacific (CP) El Niño (prolonged, abrupt, and symmetric decay) in the tropical Pacific Ocean and tropical cyclone (TC) activity in the Western North Pacific (WNP). TCs in the WNP were found to be sensitive to the different types of temporal evolution of the CP El Niño. During years of prolonged and symmetric decay, TCs were more frequent over East Asia with relatively strong TCs. In contrast, during years of abrupt decay, weak TCs with a relatively short lifespan more likely formed at slightly higher latitudes. The historical record of CP El Niño events is limited, but this study is expected to improve the understanding of complex natural systems and provide fundamental information for the scientific understanding and forecasting of TCs.