Ocean Warming Increases Hurricane Intensity

Natural phenomena, including extreme ones, are linked. Record-breaking ocean temperatures increased the maximum wind speeds that accompanied all hurricanes formed in the Atlantic in 2024, according to a study, thus confirming that global warming is amplifying the destructive power of storms. This study by the American research institute Climate Central revealed that the 11 hurricanes in 2024 intensified by an average of between 14 and 45 km/h. "Emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases have influenced sea surface temperatures around the world," said the study's author, Daniel Gilford, in a press conference. In the Gulf of Mexico, these emissions have caused sea surface temperatures to rise by about 1.4 degrees Celsius compared to what they would have been in a world without climate change. That increase fuels the winds of more powerful hurricanes. Weather phenomena like Debby and Oscar have rapidly advanced from tropical storms to full-blown hurricanes. Hurricanes like Milton and Beryl have moved up a category on the Saffir-Simpson scale, from Category 4 to the maximum Category 5, due to climate change. Another hurricane, Helene, has also moved up in intensity from Category 3 to Category 4. And this upgrade is not anecdotal: each upgrade of a hurricane to a higher category corresponds to a fourfold increase in its destructive potential. Particularly devastating, Helene killed over 200 people, making it the second-deadliest hurricane to hit the American continent in the last half-century, surpassed only by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. According to another study by Climate Central, between 2019 and 2023, 84% of hurricanes were significantly intensified by human-induced warming of the oceans. Although the two studies focused on the Atlantic basin, the scientists say their methods can also be applied to tropical cyclones globally. And climatologists warn: the effects are likely to worsen as temperatures rise beyond the threshold of 1.5% Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels.