Surface wind and vertical extent features of the explosive cyclones in the Northern Hemisphere based on the ERA‐I reanalysis data

Although explosive cyclones (ECs) have long been a focus of research, there remains a lack of knowledge of the statistical characteristics of their associated maximum surface winds and vertical extents. This study fills this gap by conducting a targeted statistical analysis of ECs in the Northern Hemisphere using the ERA‐I reanalysis data during a 40‐year period. Some new findings are obtained: (a) The average location of formation of ECs undergoes a notable westward and equatorward shift from September to April in the next year which is consistent with the location variations of sea surface temperature's strong gradients in subtropical regions. (b) Extreme ECs with a deepening rate more than 2.0 Bergeron or with a longer lifespan more than 10 days tend to have a larger occurrence number over the Northern Atlantic Ocean than over the Northern Pacific. (c) The maximum surface wind associated with an EC tends to appear between the EC reaching its maximum deepening rate and reaching its minimum central pressure. (d) The northeastern quadrant of ECs accounts for the highest proportion of maximum surface wind and strongest wind speed, as the baroclinic energy conversion is generally strongest in this quadrant. (e) Over 60% of ECs belong to a type of vertically deep cyclone (ECs' top levels show close relationship to ascending motions within their central regions), and they tend to reach their maximum vertical extent around the time when they reach their minimum central pressures. (f) The highest top levels of ECs exhibit an overall upward extending trend as their minimum central pressure decreases or their maximum deepening rate increases. Using the high‐resolution ERA‐I reanalysis datasets, a 40‐year climatology of Northern Hemisphere explosive cyclones (ECs) has been obtained, including the features of the maximum surface wind associated with ECs and ECs' vertical extents. The results show that the northeastern section (quadrant I) of ECs accounts for the highest proportion of maximum surface wind and strongest wind speed, as the baroclinic energy conversion is generally strongest in this quadrant. Most of the maximum surface winds appear within 700 km of the ECs. Over 60% of ECs belong to a type of vertically deep cyclone, and they tend to reach their maximum vertical extent around the time when they reach their minimum central pressures.