A recent study by the World Weather Attribution (WWA) group has found that climate change intensified Hurricane Helene’s torrential rain and powerful winds by approximately 10%. This amplification contributed to the storm’s devastating impact when it struck the southeastern United States.
“Although a 10% increase might seem relatively small, that small change in the hazard really leads to a big change in impacts and damage,” explained Friederike Otto, climate scientist and head of WWA. The study emphasizes how even modest increases in storm intensity can have significant consequences for affected regions.
The research also indicates that fossil fuels, the primary drivers of climate change, have made hurricanes like Helene 2.5 times more likely to occur. Historically, storms of Helene’s magnitude were expected once every 130 years. Now, they are anticipated roughly every 53 years on average.
To conduct their analysis, researchers focused on three key aspects of Hurricane Helene: precipitation, wind speeds, and the water temperature of the Gulf of Mexico—a critical factor in hurricane formation. “All aspects of this event were amplified by climate change to different degrees,” noted Ben Clarke, co-author of the study and researcher at Imperial College London. “And we’ll see more of the same as the world continues to warm.”
The findings come as the state of Florida braces for the arrival of another major hurricane, Milton, just ten days after being hit by Helene. The increasing frequency and intensity of such storms highlight the urgent need for global action on climate change.
WWA’s research underscores the significant role that human-induced climate change plays in exacerbating extreme weather events. As hurricanes become more intense and more frequent, communities worldwide must prepare for the growing challenges posed by a warming planet.
Reference(s):
Climate change made deadly Hurricane Helene more intense: study
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