Researchers believe that the emergence of a category-high hurricane so early is a clear example of what the future holds for a relentlessly warming planet.
The climate crisis is no longer a scientist’s “horror story”; it’s already happening, causing the world to experience incredible heatwaves, droughts, and wildfires. What’s more, scientists have warned that we’re headed for an incredibly extreme hurricane season this year. The first evidence of this is already reaching the world, with the hurricane season starting with records, writes Science Alert .
Hurricane Beryl struck the Grenadines on July 1; its 150 mph (241 km/h) winds and severe storm surge made it the earliest Category 5 hurricane the tropical Atlantic has ever seen. Note that a Category 5 is considered the most destructive hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale.
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Scientists had previously predicted that the 2024 hurricane season would be extremely intense. However, the speed at which Beryl transformed from a tropical storm with average winds of 70 mph (112 km/h) to a major hurricane with winds of 130 mph (209 km/h) in just 24 hours has astonished scientists.
Beryl is actually a more typical June hurricane season, said Brian Tang, an assistant professor of atmospheric sciences at the University at Albany, and its rapid intensification and strength are believed to be due to unusually warm waters.
Given a warming planet and record emissions from fossil fuels, scientists now think we’re probably in for worse surprises than we thought.
Sea surface temperatures are abnormally high in the narrow swath of the central Atlantic Ocean where most hurricanes form. In fact, ocean heat content, a measure of how much energy is in the surface waters where hurricanes draw their power, was close to the September average on July 1.
As the ocean slowly accumulates heat, scientists are alarmed that ocean temperatures are reaching their usual peak in early summer. If we have such powerful storms at the beginning of hurricane season, it is hard to imagine what kind of hurricanes could hit the world in the middle of the season.
If the National Hurricane Center’s early forecast is accurate, the North Atlantic could see 17 to 25 storms, 8 to 13 hurricanes and 4 to 7 major hurricanes by the end of November, according to Purdue University hurricane expert Jordan Jones. The researchers note that this is the highest number of storms in any preseason forecast. And scientists have previously noted that if the forecast is accurate, there will be so many named storms that scientists won’t have enough names on the list to name them all.
Seawater above 26°C is the lifeblood of hurricanes. Warm, moist air is another prerequisite. But that’s not all; hurricanes also need sustained winds in the upper and lower atmosphere to reach their speed limits. If all these puzzles come together, the new Atlantic hurricane season will be truly extraordinary.
Researchers also point out that Cyclone Beryl is actually a sign of what’s in store for humanity in the future: Unless the climate crisis is brought under control, Earth’s boiling storm season will become more intense every year.
Previously Focus He wrote that the first hurricane in history, born in June, was seen from space moving at a speed of 215 km/h.
Source: Focus
Ashley Fitzgerald is an accomplished journalist in the field of technology. She currently works as a writer at 24 news breaker. With a deep understanding of the latest technology developments, Ashley’s writing provides readers with insightful analysis and unique perspectives on the industry.