Climate Change Boosts Hurricanes by One Category; All 2024 Storms Intensified, Study Finds

Nov 20, 2024, 01:10 PM

Human-caused climate change has significantly intensified Atlantic hurricanes in recent years, according to a new study by Climate Central published in Environmental Research: Climate. From 2019 to 2023, warmer ocean temperatures increased the wind speeds of North Atlantic hurricanes by an average of 18 miles per hour (29 kilometers per hour). This increase caused over 80% of storms—specifically 40 out of 48 hurricanes—to intensify by roughly a full category on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. In 2024, every Atlantic hurricane was stronger due to higher sea surface temperatures. According to the study, "When the climate increases in temperatures, when the atmosphere gets wetter, conditions are more conducive, allowing hurricanes to have a higher speed limit." These findings highlight the profound impact of climate change on extreme weather events.