Hurricane Dorian,a storm that started as a Category 3 that intensified into a Category 5 in a short span of time, wreaked havoc in the Bahamas. While some may attribute the storm’s change to climate change and global warming, scientists also point out a reason as to how the storm got stronger. The warm waters of Bahamas helped sustain (and intensify) one of the most destructive storms that the Bahamas had experienced. Warm waters, according to researchers, serve as a fuel to intensify a storm’s fire. National Geographic has the details:
The fourth National Climate Assessment predicted hurricanes could become more intense and destructive as the climate warms. Some studies suggest a warming atmosphere could make for slower winds, and research is increasingly showing that warmer conditions make hurricanes slower and wetter.
He explains that both the temperature at the surface of the ocean and the depth of the warm water contribute to how strong a hurricane becomes.
“How strong a hurricane can get depends on warm it is,” says McNoldy.
When those storms are exposed to enough warm water and westbound winds, they can form what’s called a tropical depression, in which an area of drier, cooler air rushes to fill the void left by rapidly rising warm air.
Like adding more fuel to a fire, warm water (whether heated by regular summer temperatures or greenhouse gases) make hurricanes stronger.
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