New Evidence That Global Warming Fuels Stronger Atlantic Hurricanes

Atmospheric scientists have uncovered fresh evidence to support the hotly debated theory that global warming has contributed to the emergence of stronger hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean.

What he found both supported and contradicted previous findings. “The data says that the Atlantic has been trending upwards in hurricane intensity quite a bit,” says Kossin. “But the trends appear to be inflated or spurious everywhere else, meaning that we still can’t make any global statements.”

“The average conditions in the Atlantic at any given time are just on the cusp of what it takes for a hurricane to form,” says Kossin. ” So it might be that imposing only a small (man-made) change in conditions, creates a much better chance of having a hurricane.”

The Atlantic is also unique in that all the physical variables that converge to form hurricanes — including wind speeds, wind directions and temperatures — mysteriously feed off each other in ways that only make conditions more ripe for a storm. But scientists don’t really understand why, Kossin adds.


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