USA: Are hurricanes getting stronger – and is the climate crisis to blame?
[...]
[...] There is a growing evidence that the warming of the atmosphere and upper ocean, due to human activity such as burning fossil fuels, is making conditions ripe for fiercer, more destructive hurricanes.
“The past few years have been highly unusual, such as Irma staying strong for so long, or the hurricane in Mozambique that dumped so much rain,” says [Jim] Kossin, [a scientist at NOAA]. “All of these things are linked to a warming atmosphere. If you warm things up, over time you will get stronger storms.”
The climate emergency is tinkering with hurricanes in a variety of ways. More moisture in the air means more rain, while storms are intensifying more quickly but often stalling once they hit land, resulting in torrential downpours that cause horrendous flooding.
[...]
The expanding band of warmth around the planet’s tropical midriff also means a larger area for hurricanes to develop, resulting in fierce storms further north than before, such as Florence. In the Pacific, this change means typhoons’ focal point is switching from the Philippines towards Japan.
[...]
“This has implications for places that have historically been unaffected by tropical cyclones,” says [Jennifer] Collins, [a hurricane expert at the University of South Florida], who added these newly-hit areas are likely to suffer a significantly higher risk of structural damage than traditional hurricane zones.
“We are already seeing effects of climate change,” says Collins. “While there is not consensus on the frequency of hurricanes in a warmer world, there is a consensus that the hurricanes are becoming more intense, and hence their impact will be worse.”
[...]