CycloneDetector (v1.0) – Algorithm for detecting cyclone and anticyclone centers from mean sea level pressure layer

Abstract. Automatic methods for identifying and tracking cyclones were firstly constructed in 1990's and since then there was a big increase in a precision and probability of detection. These methods have been traditionally focused on cyclones (and particularly on tropical cyclones), but the question of anticyclone centers detection remained unsolved since they are usually not a source of turbulent weather, precipitation etc. However, this issue can be important in the era of the climate change. In this paper, an algorithm for an automatic detection of both, cyclones and anticyclones based on mean sea level pressure field, is presented. The algorithm uses two-dimensional raster data as an input and returns a list of detected pressure systems. The main advantages of our solution are easy implementation since it is based on the standard image processing algorithm, sufficient performance of the algorithm, and especially the possibility of high-pressure systems detection. Moreover, the presented solution does not need a direct terrain filtering needed for some algorithms to be done. To validate the quality of detection algorithm results, a comparison against manually prepared data by Met Office was used. It follows from the comparison that the presented algorithm produces results similar to those by Met Office. The most significant differences can be found in the detection of cyclones at the beginning or the end of the lifespan stage. Met Office detects more cyclones in these stages than the presented solution.