Warm seclusion cyclone climatology

Warm seclusion cyclones represent the intense, mature stage of the Shapiro-Keyser (1990) lifecycle paradigm. Characteristics include eye-like features near the center, bomb-like pressure falls, hurricane force winds along the bent-back warm front periphery, and vigorous convective precipitation. Cyclone phase space diagnostics portray a thermally warm core and symmetric frontal structure. A detailed climatology of global warm seclusions is presented here based upon ERA-40 reanalysis fields for both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Points addressed include development regions, nature of the incipient vortex (extratropical vs. tropical), deepening rates, and characteristics of synoptic large-scale environment.