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Snapshot 4:Wed, Nov 20, 2024 10:19:04 PM GMT last edited by Nick

Study: Warming Oceans Strengthened North Atlantic Hurricane Wind Speeds

Study: Warming Oceans Strengthened North Atlantic Hurricane WindspeedsWind Speeds

Above: Hurricane Ivan just west of Grenada in the Caribbean Sea on September 7, 2004. Image copyright: Wikimedia Commons

The Facts

  • A study published in the journal Environmental Research: Climate found that climate change intensified nearly 85% of North Atlantic hurricanes from 2019-2023, increasing wind speeds by an average of 18 mph (30 km/hr) and resulting in 30 storms reaching higher categories.Of the 38 hurricanes analyzed, 32 were found to have been strengthened as a result of rising sea surface temperatures.

  • Of the 38 hurricanes analyzed, 32 were found to have been strengthened as a result of rising sea surface temperatures.According to the journal Nature, sea surface temperatures in the North Atlantic have increased by approximately 1°C (1.8°F) since 1900 due to climate change, which provides more energy for hurricanes to intensify.


The Spin

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