Influence of ENSO on tropical cyclone intensity in the Fiji region

Abstract

This study examines the variation in tropical cyclone (TC) intensity for different phases of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon in the Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga (FST) region. The variation in TC intensity is inferred from the accumulated cyclone energy (ACE), which is constructed from the 6-hourly Joint Typhoon Warning Center best-track data for the period 1985-2006. Overall, results suggest that ACE in the FST region is considerably influenced by the ENSO signal. A substantial contribution to this ENSO signal in ACE comes from the region equatorward of 15°S where TC numbers, lifetime, and intensity all play a significant role. However, the ACE-ENSO relationship weakens substant..