In 2022, a team of scientists found that the likelihood of extreme hurricane seasons in the Atlantic is twice as high today as it was 40 years ago. This is partly due to warming sea surface temperatures, which provide more energy for storms to develop and intensify.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s 2021 report notes that North Atlantic storms have become more likely to develop into “major hurricanes” (Category 3 and above) and have intensified more quickly over the past 40 years. This makes them harder to predict and prepare for.
Hurricanes are classified on a scale of 1 to 5 based on their maximum sustained wind speeds.
The researchers also found that rising sea levels due to climate change caused flooding in New Orleans to be 60% worse than in 1900.
Additionally, extreme precipitation events have increased by 11% because the atmosphere now holds more moisture than before.
The study, published in the journal Nature, also found that the speed at which hurricanes move across the Earth’s surface has slowed by 10% in the past 70 years, meaning heavy rainfall before the storm will last longer.
While it’s difficult to attribute any one hurricane to climate change, the evidence is overwhelming: Hurricanes are becoming more intense, longer-lasting, more unpredictable, and more destructive as global warming progresses.
Source: Ferra
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