Study finds that global warming is causing more frequent hurricanes
Global warming is causing more frequent hurricanes in the North Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico, according to a recent study.
The study, from the National Center for Atmospheric Research, said the increased frequency of tropical cyclones “is largely a response” to a 1 degree Celsius rise in sea water temperatures since 1905 that was caused by greenhouse gases.
Since 1995, the North Atlantic has experienced an average of 15 tropical storms a year, of which eight became strong enough to be called hurricanes. That compares with 10 tropical storms and five hurricanes per year from 1930 to 1994, the report says.
“There is an 80% chance that the majority of the current increases have been impacted by global warming
Greg Holland
“There is an 80% chance that the majority of the current increases have been impacted by global warming,” said Greg Holland, director of the research center in Boulder, Colorado, and co-author of the study. “The bad news is that we’ve gone up in numbers overall, and in the proportion of major hurricanes as well.”
The study by Holland and Peter Webster of the Georgia institute of technology adds weight to a United Nations panel’s conclusion this year that climate change is likely caused by humans and will increase floods and droughts, change growing seasons and harm wildlife.
