As the most active hurricane season since 2005 continues to pick up steam, a new study suggests that the strongest tropical cyclones are getting even stronger because of global warming.
According to the scientists involved, the average wind speed of the strongest storms has increased from 140 mph in 1981 to 156 mph in 2006. At the same time, the temperature of the ocean surface in the regions where cyclones form has increased by half a degree. Likewise, the annual frequency of major tropical storms has increased from 13 to 17.
While the last two years have been unusually quite in the Atlantic, it's important for Americans to remember that we aren't the only ones who get such storms. Last year Asia experienced an unusually heavy typhoon season, and let's not forget the cyclone that devastated Myanmar earlier this year.
Thursday, September 04, 2008
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