Why are hurricanes getting stronger, faster and more disastrous?

It has been a season of hurricanes in many countries across the globe. Within the last decade, we have seen so many hurricanes, with the latest Ian and Orlene causing havoc in Florida, US, and Mexico respectively.

Before going into why hurricanes have been growing so strong, take a look at the destruction that Hurricane Ian and Orlene have caused:

Hurricane Ian, Florida

One of the most disastrous hurricanes seen in US history, Hurricane Ian slammed the US’ East Coast last week and has already taken the lives of more than 40 people. It flattened whole neighbourhoods and knocked out power lines and bridges as it made landfall on Florida's southwestern coast last Wednesday, September 28.

• Even as of today, an estimated 628,285 homes and businesses are still without power in Florida.  
• Hurricane Ian was a category four hurricane; which means its wind speed was 209-251 km/h. 

 

Hurricane Orlene, Mexico: 

Hurricane Orlene, which is spelling trouble for Mexico, was still a hazardous Category 3 storm on Sunday, October 2, as it approached the tourist destinations of Mazatlan and San Blas on the country's northwest Pacific coast.

• But according to the US National Hurricane Center, Orlene strengthened fast after developing into a hurricane on Saturday, reaching its peak as a Category 4 hurricane early on Sunday, with maximum sustained winds of 215 km/h.
• By late Sunday, however, winds had decreased to 185 km/h.  

Authorities also fear that this can cause flash floods and mudslides in Mexico in the coming few days. 

So, why are hurricanes getting so devastating?

Here are some of the possible reasons.

The warming of the ocean fuels stronger winds

Over the past 50 years, oceans have absorbed more than 90% of the extra heat created by human-induced global warming.

• Data from the NOAA Weather Radio indicates that sea surface temperatures have increased on average 0.14 degrees Fahrenheit every decade since 1901.

This is essential because storms intensify over the water.

They get more strength as the water becomes warmer.  

Winds intensify more rapidly

Kerry Emanuel, a meteorologist and hurricane researcher at MIT, told the New York Times that warmer waters not only make hurricanes stronger but also accelerate the rate of intensification.  

Global warming

More storms are rapidly intensifying as the planet's climate warms, often shocking even forecasters and leaving locals with little time to prepare, as the storms transition from relatively moderate tropical storms to Category 3 or greater hurricanes in less than 24 hours.

The vertical shear factor

Vertical wind shear is the measure of how much the wind shifts its direction or speed at various altitudes in the atmosphere.

• Strong vertical wind shear can prevent the formation of a storm by forcing cool, dry air into its core.

Research shows that rising temperatures might reduce vertical wind shear, allowing storms approaching to strengthen more quickly.

• Due to unpredicted hurricanes, authorities also run the risk of unnecessarily causing hundreds of thousands or perhaps millions of people to scramble, due to unknown behavioural patterns of the hurricanes. 
• Hurricanes with catastrophic winds like Ian or Orlene are increasingly being impacted by climate change.

Bottomline: Deadly storms will probably grow more frequent unless greenhouse gas emissions are drastically reduced in the near future.