A Regional Intercomparison of Rainfall and Wind Speed Extremes

The Pacific Storms Climatology Products project is studying the changes in storminess – strong winds, high seas, and heavy rains – across distinct regions in the Pacific. For each region, these changes can be characterized through a variety of different statistical approaches, including return-year intervals, seasonal differences, and frequency distributions. In addition, connections of these measures to the phase of El Nino Southern Oscillation can also be explored. The presentation will compare the differences in the extreme rainfall and high wind events between the regions of the Central Pacific, Western Pacific, and South Pacific. Special attention will also be given to how these extremes may be changing over time, and how these changes compare between the regions.