A consistent historic database of tropical cyclone (TC) windfield parameters in the Australian region would provide the necessary inputs for accurate risk assessment and prediction modelling and would improve TC forecasting. A recent reanalysis study aimed at improving the quality of the historic TC database highlighted issues with the currently used wind radii observations, particularly prior to the introduction of scatterometry in the early 2000s (Harper 2013; Holland 1981; Trewin 2008), and the need for a more consistent, accurate wind radii observation dataset.

The global Cross-Calibrated Multi-Platform (CCMP) gridded ocean winds (1987 – present) are produced 6-hourly at 0.25° resolution using a combination of satellite, buoy and ERA-interim reanalysis model data and will be investigated for use as an alternative wind radii observation dataset. Ocean wind data will be validated using best track observations in the North Atlantic region, where aircraft reconnaissance provides greater observation accuracy (Emanuel et al. 2018) and will be compared to the Bureau of Meteorology best track wind radii observations. The ocean wind data could then be used to improve the wind radii modelling for the historic reanalysis dataset.