2024's record ocean heat revved up Atlantic hurricane wind speeds: study

Climate change intensifies Atlantic hurricanes in 2024, with human-driven warming increasing maximum wind speeds, posing greater risks.

Human-driven warming of ocean temperatures increased the maximum wind speeds of every Atlantic hurricane in 2024, according to a new analysis released Wednesday (November 20, 2024), highlighting how climate change is amplifying the destructive power of storms.

The study, published by the research institute Climate Central, found that all eleven hurricanes in 2024 intensified by nine to 28 miles per hour (14-45 kph) during the record-breaking ocean warmth of the 2024 hurricane season.

"Emissions from carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases have influenced the temperatures of sea surfaces around the world," author Daniel Gilford said in a call with reporters.

In the Gulf of Mexico, these emissions made sea surface temperatures around 2.5 degrees Fahrenheit (1.4C) hotter than they would have been in a world without climate change.

This rise fuels stronger hurricanes.

The increased temperatures intensified storms like Debby and Oscar, which grew from tropical storms into full-fledged hurricanes.

Other hurricanes were pushed up a category on the Saffir-Simpson scale, including Milton and Beryl which escalated from Category 4 to Category 5 due to climate change, while Helene climbed from Category 3 to Category 4.