A new study by Climate Central has found that human-caused climate change caused Atlantic hurricanes to become roughly 18 miles per hour (mph) stronger in the past six years.
About 80 percent of hurricanes generated in the Atlantic Basin from 2019 to 2023 had maximum wind speeds that were 18 mph higher on average due to sea surface temperatures made warmer by global heating, a press release from Climate Central said.
“Rising global mean air temperatures and sea surface temperatures (SSTs) are expected to influence tropical cyclone activity throughout the 21st century. Hurricane intensity changes, in particular, are important to understand and elucidate because they are a key driver of storm risks and damages in the United States,” the findings of the study said.
Thirty of 38 hurricanes the researchers analyzed were approximately one category higher in intensity on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale in comparison with what their strength would have been projected to be without the influence …