Eyewall Contraction, Breakdown and Reformation in a Landfalling Typhoon

The interesting eyewall evolution of Typhoon Zeb before, during, and after its landfall at Luzon was documented from both the satellite observation and numerical simulation. It is proposed that the terrain plays a critical role in leading to such evolution: first the eyewall contraction just before landfall, a following breakdown, and then the eyewall reformation after the storm returned to the ocean. Further studies of the physical mechanisms responsible for such eyewall evolution shall improve both our understanding of and the skill in predicting the structure and intensity changes of tropical cyclones in general and landfalling ones in particular.