sea-surface temperatures
Newsletter
Storm Debby intensifies as warm seas fuel hurricane season
Tropical Storm Debby is gaining strength as it moves over warm waters, highlighting how rising ocean temperatures are fueling more intense storms this hurricane season.
In short:
- Tropical Storm Debby is recharging over warm waters and is expected to hit South Carolina soon, according to the National Hurricane Center.
- Warm seawater increases evaporation, adding moisture to the atmosphere and strengthening storms like Debby.
- Climate change, driven by fossil fuel emissions, is increasing atmospheric moisture, complicating precipitation patterns and predictions.
Key quote:
"Extremely warm sea-surface temperatures provide a much more conducive dynamic and thermodynamic environment for hurricane formation and intensification."
— Researchers at Colorado State University
Why this matters:
As ocean temperatures rise due to climate change, the potential for stronger, more destructive storms increases, threatening coastal communities. Understanding these dynamics helps improve storm forecasts and prepare for severe weather events.
Related:
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Hurricanes are becoming less predictable and more dangerous
Fueled by rising ocean temperatures, hurricanes are intensifying faster, lasting longer, and becoming less predictable, posing new challenges for communities worldwide.
In short:
- Climate change is extending hurricane seasons and increasing their intensity, with warmer oceans providing more energy for storms.
- Hurricanes are slowing down, leading to prolonged rainfall and increased damage in affected areas.
- Shifting hurricane tracks are bringing extreme storms to regions unaccustomed to such events.
Key quote:
"Because we can't suddenly turn off climate change and have everything go back to the way it was. There's an inertia to the system that we can't really get past. And so adaptation is going to be a big part of it."
— James Kossin, climate and atmospheric scientist, NOAA, retired
Why this matters:
Hurricanes are no longer playing by the rules. As climate change cranks up the Earth's thermostat, these once somewhat predictable storms are turning into wild cards, packing unpredictable punches that leave communities scrambling to pick up the pieces. Read more: Robbie Parks on why hurricanes are getting deadlier.
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Newsletter
How an early hurricane may signal a rough storm season
Hurricane Beryl's explosive growth and record-setting intensity foretell a potentially catastrophic storm season fueled by unusually warm waters in the Atlantic and Caribbean.
In short:
- Hurricane Beryl has set multiple records, including the earliest Category 4 storm and unprecedented rapid intensification.
- The storm’s strength is driven by abnormally warm sea temperatures, which are currently at levels typical of peak hurricane season.
- Experts warn that this trend indicates a season with more frequent and intense hurricanes, similar to the deadly 2005 season that spawned Hurricane Katrina.
Key quote:
“Beryl is unprecedentedly strange... It is so far outside the climatology that you look at it and you say, ‘How did this happen in June?’”
— Jeff Masters, meteorologist and Weather Underground co-founder
Why this matters:
With sea temperatures far above normal, the risk of severe hurricanes is heightened, posing serious threats to coastal communities and indicative of the broader impacts of climate change on weather patterns. Read more: Robbie Parks on why hurricanes are getting deadlier.
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Newsletter
Hurricane Otis was too fast for the forecasters
The storm intensified to Category 5 just before it reached Acapulco.
Newsletter
Heat waves aren’t just getting hotter—they’re stickier too
This summer's extraordinary heat is but a preview of what's to come: Humidity not only makes daytime highs more miserable, it extends the hotness through the night.
Republican rep. nearly blames hurricanes on climate change
Representative Barry Loudermilk came so, so close to accurately describing Hurricane Idalia.
Big, brown, and baffling researchers: Unusual algae bloom in the Gulf of Maine
Researchers at UNH and other regional players say it’s the first time they’ve seen such high concentrations of the dinoflagellate phytoplankton Tripos muelleri this time of year spanning from Massachusetts to Maine.
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