Could MJO Predictions Help Improve Weather Forecasts?
Motivation Even though the MJO is most evident in the global tropics, it is also connected to substantial variations of mid- and high-latitude atmospheric circulation (see Figure). There is considerable evidence that deep tropical atmospheric convection impacts atmospheric flow in the extratropics. Because the MJO is characterized by strong variations in tropical atmospheric convection, it is possible that it influences extratropical weather phenomena – in a manner analogous to the influences of the El Niño on North American weather. Thus, 10-20 days forecasts of weather away from the tropics may benefit from the assessment and prediction of the MJO in the tropics.
