[Karl]

In the light of recent activity in the Atlantic, it was inevitable that the issue of climate change and possible effects on extreme weather would arise again. Here are some recent articles on the topic…

Study: Climate change likely made storms even stronger

By ERIC BERGER – Houston Chronicle, September 04, 2008

The strongest hurricanes have gotten stronger in nearly all oceans around the world, likely in response to global warming, a new study concludes. Scientists say the research is noteworthy, because it uses only satellite observations. This may eliminate some of the bias in the historical hurricane record that has made it all but impossible to determine whether monster storms such as Hurricane Katrina are stronger or more frequent than they were a few decades ago.

After reanalyzing 25 years of satellite data from the North Atlantic and the other five ocean basins where tropical cyclones form, the study's authors found that the top 30 percent of each year's storms became measurably stronger between 1981 and 2006. The intensity change was equivalent to about 5 mph for the strongest storms. "I think this makes the argument much more compelling that climate change is really affecting the most rare, powerful storms by making them even stronger," said James Elsner, a hurricane scientist at Florida State University and lead author of the study published in Nature.

In recent years, especially since the record 2005 tropical season, some hurricane scientists have believed that warmer oceans were producing stronger hurricanes. But other scientists have said the record of past hurricanes couldn't be compared to that of the modern era, when storms are analyzed in minute detail from space, air and sea. Prior to the use of satellites and aircraft reconnaissance, the ability to measure sustained winds at sea was severely constrained.

Link to full article: Study: Climate change likely made storms even stronger | Chronicle | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

Related Articles:

> New Study Reveals Hurricanes Are Getting Stronger : ChattahBox
> Is Global Warming Worsening Hurricanes? - TIME
> Climate Experts Point To Global Warming As Reason Behind Stronger Storms | AHN | September 6, 2008
> Warming brews forces to be reckoned with - 06 Sep 2008 - NZ Herald: World / International News
> Hurricanes Get Stronger Due To Global Warmth

** To keep track of the latest tropical storm/hurricane activity: Meteorology & Weather Map Sites