A significant drop in tropical cyclones’ lifespan in the Pacific over the past 40 years

Tropical cyclones (TCs) are among the most damaging weather systems, making it essential to understand how their characteristics evolve over time. While long-term variations in TC track and intensity have been widely examined, long-term trends in their lifespans remain poorly quantified. Using observational data from 1982 to 2024, we show that the annual mean duration of TCs has decreased significantly at a rate of -14.6±5.3 and -7.1±5.8 hours per decade, corresponding to total reductions of approximately 63 and 31 hours, in the Eastern and Western Pacific, respectively. Over the same period, TCs exhibit faster intensification on average prior to reaching their lifetime maximum intensity, followed by more rapid weakening afterward. These changes likely reflect the combined influence of evolving large-scale environmental conditions and modifications in TC internal convective processes. The shorter TC lifespan over the open ocean before entering coastal zones poses greater challenges for weather forecasting and disaster preparedness.