Specialists from the US Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have recorded an abnormal increase in the strength of Atlantic hurricanes. According to the findings of the researchers, the main reason was the natural climate cycle, called the North Atlantic Oscillation. It is likely that global warming is also contributing, making the strength of storms unpredictable. This was announced in a press release on the EurekAlert! Website.
With a rapid increase in cyclone intensity, its speed increases by 36 kilometers per hour in 24 hours. In 2017, hurricanes such as Harvey, Irma, Jose and Maria experienced this.
Researchers analyzed satellite data on the strength of storms over the past 30 years and found that the average increase in wind speed for hurricanes is now 21 kilometers per hour more than in the past. Each decade, this characteristic increased by seven kilometers per hour.
Wind speed is influenced by various factors, including sea-surface temperature, humidity, direction and rate of growth, and heat content in the near-surface layer of the ocean. The North Atlantic Oscillation, first discovered in 2001, primarily affects sea surface temperature, making it unstable for decades. This phenomenon is now observed in the central and eastern Atlantic. Scientists admit that it may be affected by global warming.
Tropical Hurricane Harvey caused disastrous flooding in Texas in 2017 and was the worst since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The disaster killed 83 people and caused total damage of $ 70 billion.