A numerical study of the intensification mechanism of typhoon LEO over South China Sea (1999)

High-resolution numerical simulation scheme is used to study the physical mechanism of the intensification of typhoon LEO (1999), which develops from a tropical storm in South Chine Sea. The results show the transition from a tropical storm to a typhoon is caused by convective bursts near the storm center. The convective condensation heating effect helps to form a warm core and also a cyclonic circulation at upper levels. The merger of mesoscale vortices or the injection of mesoscale vortices to the storm center at lower levels might be the trigger of convective bursts.EI03325-3294