Climate change means more than mild winters: storms wreak extra havoc

Darkfrog submitted, created time 4 months 3 days (www.nature.com)

According to Nature, the maximum speeds of hurricanes and other intense storms have increased since 1981. While atmospheric models have long suggested that an overall increase in planetary temperature will also increase the intensity of storms, it has also been argued that other results of increasing temperature, such as increased shearing winds, would cancel out or interfere with these other effects. Climatologists at the University of Florida, however, have found that recent storms have been able to overcome the effects of shearing winds. They also found that although the average number and intensity of storms has remained the same, the distribution has shifted toward the bigger, more intense storms that are far more dangerous to humans--more category four and five storms. As a solution--more like a mitigator, really--the article suggests improving communications and transportation infrastructure. Two days might be enough time for Americans to evacuate New Orleans again, but it isn't enough time in Myanmar.

Keywords: storms meteorology climate change ecology climatology global warming global climate change hurricanes weather climate