A 38-Year Climatology of Explosive Cyclones over the Northern Hemisphere

Explosive cyclones (ECs) over two basins in the Northern Hemisphere (20°–90°N) from January 1979 to December 2016 are investigated using ERA-Interim and Optimum Interpolation Sea Surface Temperature (OISST) data. The classical definition of an EC is modified considering not only the rapid drop of the central sea level pressure of the cyclone, but also the strong wind speed at the height of 10 m in which maximum wind speeds greater than 17.2 m s−1 are included. According to the locations of the northern Atlantic and northern Pacific, the whole Northern Hemisphere is divided into the “A region” (20°–90°N, 90°W–90°E) and “P region” (20°–90°N, 90°E–90°W). Over both the A and P regions, the climatological features of ECs, such as their spatial distribution, intensity, seasonal variation, interannual variation, and moving tracks, are documented.