• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.447-452
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• 2020

Extratropical cyclone in winter season is very important in safe operation of ships because it is a major cause of marine accidents due to its strong power. In this study, we used meteorological data, to analyze extratropical cyclones occurring near the 1st Pacific polar front from December 2019 to February 2020. The analysis results are as follows. During those three months, we recorded 41 extratropical cyclones, 8 of which were remarkably developed. The central pressure of the strongest cyclone was 947hPa. The highest number of cyclones were generated in the East P acific Ocean around J apan (16), followed by the areas around Korea, the East China Sea, and the southern Sea of J apan. The cyclones followed five major tracks with a common northeast pattern. We thus concluded that the optimal route for a ship encountering an extratropical cyclone in the North P acific in winter would be south of the cyclone's center traveling eastbound and north of the center traveling westbound.