Once again, blame human activities for the increasing temperature of ocean water near the place where hurricanes form. It is over the past century, water near the Atlantic Ocean hurricane zones have warmed up, scientists claim.
As for a tropical storm to develop into a hurricane, it needs its primary fuel form water, which should be at least 80 degrees Fahrenheit (26.5 Celsius). New computer simulations reveal that an Atlantic Ocean hurricane spawning region, off the coast of Africa has experienced more extreme temperature variation compared to other areas.
It is over the 20th century, the water temperature in this “hurricane alley” have risen several tenths of a degree Celsius.
Study team member, Thomas Knutson, a meteorologist at the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory in Princeton said,
This very long-term increase in temperature may seem small but is comparable in magnitude to shorter time-scale, multi-decadal changes that many scientists now believe contribute strongly to an increase in hurricane activity in the Atlantic.
Via: Live Science