Hurricanes Heating Up

By Phil Berardelli
ScienceNOW Daily News
17 August 2006

Last year produced a record 15 Atlantic hurricanes, including four of the most severe Category 5 variety. One of those, of course, was Katrina, the most economically damaging storm in U.S. history. So it's no surprise that climate scientists are scrambling to learn whether these events merely constituted a freak coincidence or evidenced a frightening trend. Some studies have suggested that rising temperatures worldwide are to blame for the increased frequency of hurricanes . The jury remains out on that issue, but new research suggests the first direct link between global warming and greater hurricane intensity.[read more]