This website at Central Weather Bureau (CWB) documents the observation, research and prediction activities in Taiwan in collaboration with the WMO/WWRP Observation System Research and Predictability Experiment (THORPEX) Pacific-Asian Regional Campaign (PARC), T-PARC (http://catalog.eol.ucar.edu/tparc_2008/index.html). Our objectives are to investigate the new/special observing systems, improve the analysis and forecast of typhoons in Taiwan and to enhance the understanding of the dynamics of typhoons and other tropical disturbances. The participation of T-PARC from scientists and the operation center (CWB) in Taiwan mainly involves two efforts: First, continuation of the targeted observation program, DOTSTAR (Dropwindsonde Observations for Typhoon Surveillance near the TAiwan Region; http://typhoon.as.ntu.edu.tw/DOTSTAR/en/), in which joint flights are conducted with the TCS-08 (http://met.nps.edu/~tparc/), TH-08 (http://tparc.mri-jma.go.jp/), and ProbeX programs under T-PARC for investigating the genesis, structure change, recurvature (targeted observation), and extra-tropical transition of tropical cyclones; Second, participation in the planning and execution of driftsonde observations of wind, temperature, and humidity over the expanse observation-devoid oceanic regions from South China Sea to the tropical and subtropical western North Pacific. The data collected from the driftsonde observations will be used to study East Asian summer monsoons and the genesis and development of tropical disturbances including typhoons. Together with the FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC retrievals and the DOTSTAR dropsonde observations, the driftsonde data will also be used to test and improve weather prediction skills with a variety of data assimilation schemes and weather forecast models. We anticipate that the participation in the T-PARC would bring about the following accomplishments:

1. A most comprehensive data set that describes the atmospheric thermal and dynamical conditions for typhoon forecast and tropical dynamics studies.
2. Enhanced knowledge of the genesis and development of tropical disturbances, structure change, recurvature (targeted observation), and extra-tropical transition of tropical cyclones.
3. Improved analysis and forecasts of tropical cyclones in/at CWB.
4. Accurate temperature, humidity, and wind observations for the validation of FORMOSAT-3 retrievals.
5. Promotion of international collaboration on atmospheric sciences research in Taiwan.

The above projects are jointed funded by both National Science Council and CWB in Taiwan. The steering committee of "T-PARC in Taiwan" is chaired by Prof. Chun-Chieh Wu (NTU) and co-chaired by Prof. Huang-Hsiung Hsu (NTU), Prof. Po-Hsiung Lin (NTU), and Dr. Tien-Chiang Yeh (CWB).