Here's what the latest research reveals about how climate change is supercharging tropical cyclones—the generic term for both weather phenomenon
Satellite image of Category 4 Hurricane Helene making landfall in Florida, USA, with powerful winds and heavy rainfall causing widespread damage. Relief efforts are underway to assist affected communities and restore power. Imaged 26 September 2024.
Image: Gallo Images/Orbital Horizon/Copernicus Sentinel Data 2024
From Hurricane Helene to Typhoon Yagi, powerful storms are battering the globe, and scientists warn that a warming planet is amplifying their destructive force to unprecedented levels.
Here's what the latest research reveals about how climate change is supercharging tropical cyclones— the generic term for both weather phenomenon.
"On average, the destructive potential of hurricanes has increased about 40 percent due to the 1 degrees Celsius (roughly 2 degrees Fahrenheit) warming that has already taken place," Michael Mann, a climatologist at University of Pennsylvania, told AFP.Â
In a recent paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), Mann added his voice to calls for the Saffir-Simpson scale to be expanded to include a "new class of monster storms" -- Category 6, where sustained winds exceed 192 miles per hour (308 kph).