Hurricane Statistics

MIT Hurricane Study: Global Warming Pumping Up
Destructive Power

Global warming is pumping up the destructive power of hurricanes and typhoons, a new study published by Kerry Emanuel, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology hurricane specialist suggests. Emanuel's analysis of data on storm winds and duration, according to New Scientist, shows that potential wind-caused damage has roughly doubled over the past 30 years. His research shows that over the same period, tropical sea-surface temperatures have increased only by half a degree.

Many More Hurricanes to Come

The past 10 years have seen more ferocious and more frequent hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean and scientists are confident that there will be more to come. While some studies have suggested that global warming may be a contributing factor, many
meteorologists instead believe that it is just part of a natural cycle.