A Global ERA5-based Tropical Cyclone Wind Field Dataset Enhanced by Integrated Parametric Correction Methods

Existing reanalysis datasets, such as ERA5, typically underestimate peak wind speeds and inadequately capture inner-core structural characteristics of TCs. To address these limitations, we introduce a globally applicable, high-resolution TC wind field dataset reconstructed from ERA5 through an integrated parametric correction approach. This novel methodology combines the Willoughby adjustment for open-ocean TCs, proportional correction methods for landfalling TCs, and a linear interpolation method to ensure smooth transitions in coastal regions.

How to use the dataset

Identify the TC track ID
Users should first locate the corresponding TC in the IBTrACS dataset (e.g., IBTrACS.ALL.v04r00.nc). Each storm has a unique track identifier that links directly to the files in our dataset.

Locate the corresponding snapshot file
Within TC_snapshot.zip, each NetCDF file is named after the IBTrACS track ID. This file contains the reconstructed wind field snapshots at multiple timestamps, along with the snapshot position and structural parameters.

Match time and location with ERA5
For any given analysis time, extract the snapshot whose timestamp matches the ERA5 analysis or forecast hour. The provided wind field is already spatially aligned in latitude–longitude coordinates.

Replace the ERA5 TC core region
Simply overwrite the ERA5 winds within the snapshot’s spatial domain using the reconstructed wind fields. The dataset does not apply additional scaling; the values represent the corrected TC wind speed structure derived from the parametric model.

Retain ERA5 winds outside the TC influence zone
Only the TC‐affected region should be replaced. ERA5 winds beyond the snapshot domain remain unchanged to preserve synoptic‐scale consistency.

Optional post‐processing
Users may apply additional smoothing or interpolation if their model or application requires specific grid spacing, but no further correction or adjustment is necessary.

This workflow enables users to seamlessly integrate physically consistent, intensity‐corrected TC wind fields into their numerical models or observational analyses while maintaining compatibility with the original ERA5 dataset.

Limitations for High-Intensity Tropical Cyclones

For high-intensity tropical cyclones, the radius of maximum wind (RMW) is often much smaller than 25 km, which is comparable to the native spatial resolution of ERA5. As a result, the inner-core wind structure of these storms is insufficiently resolved in the original reanalysis fields. Under such conditions, the effectiveness of the wind-field correction method applied in this dataset is reduced, particularly for the strongest systems.

Users should be aware that this limitation originates from the intrinsic resolution constraint of ERA5 rather than from the correction framework itself.

Recommended Workflow for Strong Tropical Cyclones

When analyzing strong tropical cyclones whose radius of maximum wind is significantly smaller than the ERA5 grid spacing (~25 km), we recommend an enhanced two-step workflow. First, the original ERA5 wind fields associated with these events should be interpolated to a higher spatial resolution using robust and physically consistent interpolation methods. Subsequently, the wind-speed correction scheme described in our study (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-025-05789-w) can be applied to the interpolated fields.

This procedure helps to better represent the compact inner-core wind structure of intense tropical cyclones and can substantially improve the practical usability of the corrected wind data.