Understanding the factors controlling MJO prediction skill across events

Using the latest hindcast results from the subseasonal-to-seasonal (S2S) phase II models, this study attempts to understand the diverse prediction skill for the MJO events with an enhanced convective anomaly over the eastern Indian Ocean (IO) at the forecast start date, by investigating the preference of the prediction skill to the MJO-associated convective anomalies and low-frequency background states (LFBS).

Compared to the low-skill MJO events, the high-skill events are characterized by a stronger intraseasonal convection–circulation couplet over the IO before the forecast start date, which could result in a longer zonal propagation range during the forecast period, thereby leading to a higher score for assessing the prediction skill. The difference in intraseasonal fields can further be attributed to the LFBS of IO sea surface temperature (SST) and quasi-biannual oscillation (QBO), with the high-skill (low-skill) events corresponding to a warmer (colder) IO and easterly (westerly) QBO phase.