A summary of the broadscale tropical circulation from 70°E to 180°, for the six months May to October 2003, is presented. Neutral ENSO conditions persisted during the season, as suggested by weak pressure anomalies over most of the equatorial latitude belt, small values of the Southern Oscillation Index, warm sea-surface temperature anomalies in the northwestern Pacific and weak wind anomalies at lower and upper levels in the equatorial Pacific near the date-line. Convection associated with the northern hemisphere monsoon was weaker than average over the Indian subcontinent. Four active convective phases of the Madden-Julian Oscillation affected the region during the season. The periodicity remained close to the upper limit of the 30 to 60-day intraseasonal oscillation. A total of 20 tropical cyclones (11 typhoons) developed during the period, less than the mean (27) for the RSMC area.
Shalk et al. (Wed,) studied this question.
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