Dropwindsonde Observations for Typhoon Surveillance near the Taiwan Region (DOTSTAR) - An overview

Dropwindsonde Observations for Typhoon Surveillance near the Taiwan Region (DOTSTAR) is the National Priority Typhoon Research Project formed in 2002 with the goal of building upon successful work to improve tropical cyclone track forecasts with additional observations. This marks the first time in 16 years that an aircraft is used to routinely observe typhoons. In the field experiment involving the Astra SPX jet, dropwindsondes are released every 150-200 km. The flight routes enable observation of the most sensitive region around the tropical cyclone (TC). Data from the flights are assimilated in real time into operational models. Initial results suggest a golden opportunity for improving the tropical cyclone track forecasts near Taiwan.