资源环境科技发展态势分析平台

In this study a comprehensive picture of the changing intensity life‐cycle of major (category 3 and higher) tropical cyclones (TCs) is presented. Over the past decades the lifetime maximum intensity has increased but there has also been a significant decrease in duration of time spent at intensities greater than category 1. These compensating effects have maintained a stable global mean accumulated cyclone energy of individual major TCs. The global mean duration of major TCs has shortened by about one day from 1982 to 2018. There has been both faster intensification (category 1 to 3) and weakening (category 3 to 1) by about 40%. The probability of rapid intensification and rapid weakening have both risen in the period 2000‐2018 compared to 1982‐1999. A statistically significant anti‐correlation is found between the lifetime maximum intensity and the following duration of the final weakening. This suggests an element of self‐regulation of TC life‐cycles.