Intense Tropical Cyclones in the Western North Pacific Under Global Warming: A Dynamical Downscaling Approach

This study aims to assess the global warming's impact on intense tropical cyclones (TCs) over the western North Pacific (WNP) through dynamical downscaling. 379 and 179 TCs reaching Category 1 in the High‐Resolution Atmospheric Model (HiRAM) are downscaled for use in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model at 5‐km horizontal resolution in the current climate (1979–2015) and for use in the Representative Concentration Pathways 8.5 (RCP8.5) in the future climate (2074–2100) scenarios, respectively. Inclusion of the downscaling simulations by WRF helps better reproduce the probability distribution of the TC's lifetime maximum intensity (LMI). In the warmer climate, the LMI of very intense TCs in WNP are projected to be stronger. Such an increase in intensity is statistically significant, and can be primarily explained by enhanced intensification rate. Meanwhile, TCs among the top 5% in LMI can reach higher intensities which cannot be attained in the current climate. After downscaling, the probability of WNP TCs reaching Category 4–5 increases by 6.5 percentage points in the late 21st century. This increase is 1.7 percentage points higher than the increase projected exclusively by HiRAM. Moreover, for TCs among the top 5% in LMI, a 233‐km and 300‐km westward shift of LMI locations is identified in the late 21st century for simulations with and without the downscaling approach, respectively. Both results suggest that very intense TCs would pose a higher threat to the WNP lands under global warming, as they become substantially stronger, and as their LMI locations migrate toward the coast. Plain Language Summary This study assesses the impact of global warming on intense tropical cyclones (TCs) over the western North Pacific (WNP) through a dynamical downscaling approach, showing that inclusion of the downscaling simulations helps better reproduce the probability distribution of the TC lifetime maximum intensity (LMI). The very intense TCs would pose a higher threat to the WNP lands under global warming, as they become substantially stronger, and as their LMI locations migrate toward the coast. Key Points Inclusion of the downscaled tropical cyclones (TCs) improves the probability distribution of TC's lifetime maximum intensity (LMI) There is a more substantial increase in the intensity of very intense TCs in a warmer future As global warming progresses, heightened TC intensity and their tendency to reach LMI closer to land jointly pose increased coasta