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https://www.sciencealert.com/hurricane-beryl-a-stark-warning-of-things-to-come-as-our-planet-heats-up>
'When Hurricane Beryl hit the Grenadine Islands on July 1, its 150 mph winds
and awesome storm surge made it the earliest category 5 storm (the most
destructive grade on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale) the tropical
Atlantic has seen.
An active hurricane season in 2024 was forecast well in advance. However, the
speed at which Beryl intensified, jumping from tropical-storm strength with
winds averaging 70 mph to major-hurricane status with 130 mph winds in just 24
hours, astounded scientists.
"Beryl is a storm more typical of the heart of hurricane season than of June,
and its rapid intensification and strength have likely been driven by unusually
warm waters," says Brian Tang, an associate professor of atmospheric science at
the University at Albany, State University of New York.
As the world heats faster due to record fossil fuel emissions, research
suggests that there are more unpleasant surprises to come.
In a narrow band of the mid-Atlantic Ocean where most hurricanes form, sea
surface temperatures are anomalously high. In fact, the ocean's heat content –
a measure of how much energy is contained in the surface water that hurricanes
draw strength from – was close to its average for September on July 1.
Water accumulates heat slowly, so it is alarming to see ocean heat near its
usual peak at the start of summer. If the tropical Atlantic is already
producing such storms, what might the rest of the hurricane season hold?'
Via Rixty Dixet.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
