Why climate change makes hurricanes more dangerous

On the connection between human-caused warming and the frequency of meteorological-driven storms: The case of Beryl, whose first hurricane occurred in the Caribbean

“We should be expecting more storms to quickly intensify because of a warming climate,” says a University of South Florida professor. But while many climate models suggest that storms will gain strength more quickly as the Earth heats up, it’s still unclear whether that’s already happening. The relationship between a hotter planet and the number and timing of storms that rapidly gain strength is still an active area of research.

Shortly before Beryl made landfall for the first time, it grew from a weak tropical depression into a major hurricane over the course of just 48 hours.

The earliest storm in the Atlantic to reach Category 4, and then Category 5 status, was made possible by the heat. At least seven people were killed when the storm hit the Caribbean. When it hit Grenada on Monday, Beryl caused “unimaginable” damage, according to the country’s prime minister. The vast majority of the buildings on the hardest-hit islands were damaged or destroyed.

There is no denying that greenhouse gas emissions are increasing ocean temperatures and that hot ocean water in the summer makes dangerous storms more likely. The 2024 hurricane forecast calls for the most storms ever predicted, largely due to record-breaking ocean temperatures.

It is right in line with what we expect from the science when it comes to the temperature of the planet and the oceans.

Climate change might be changing those patterns due to excess heat absorbed by the ocean from human greenhouse gas emissions.

Tom Knutson, a senior scientist at the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, says scientists don’t have a clear picture yet of the relationship between human-caused warming and rapid intensification. “There may be one that’s emerging, but we’re not sure.”

A Hurricane Beryl Strengthens Back into a Category 3 Storm as it Nears the Caribbean Islands: The Los Alamos, the Cayman Islands, and Jamaica

Some 1,432 people remained in shelters in Jamaica, like Desrine Campbell, a resident of the low-lying community of Old Harbour Bay, who wailed, “My house is almost flooded!”

A lot of the island was without power, along with water and telecommunications. The lack of communication hampered an assessment of the damage that was being done by government officials.

The man died on Wednesday after he was swept into a storm water drain while trying to retrieve a ball. A woman died when a house collapsed on her.

Over the past days, Beryl has damaged or destroyed 95% of homes on a pair of islands in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, jumbled fishing boats in Barbados and ripped off roofs in Jamaica before rumbling past the Cayman Islands early Thursday.

Velázquez said temporary storm shelters were in place at schools and hotels but efforts to evacuate a few highly exposed villages — like Punta Allen, which sits on a narrow spit of land south of Tulum — and Mahahual, further south — had been only partially successful.

The Caribbean coast of Mexico was expected to be affected by heavy rain and winds before crossing the Yucatan peninsula and making a second strike on northeast Mexico.

On the beach earlier today, Myriam Setra, a tourist from Dallas, Texas, thought they would get the last of the sun in today. And then it’s just going to be hunker down and just stay indoors until hopefully it passes.”

Source: Hurricane Beryl strengthens back into a Category 3 storm as it nears Mexico

A Category 3 Hurricane Beryl Strengthens Back into a Category 3-Mexico Storm as It Nears Mexico: Hotel Umi in Tulum

Tourists were also taking precautions. The therapist from Idaho said they will have water to flush the toilet after putting all of their empty water bottles in the freezer.

“We’ve cut the gas and electricity. We also have an emergency floor where two maintenance employees will be locking down,” he said from the hotel. “We have them staying in the room farthest from the beach and windows.”

Francisco Bencomo, General manager of Hotel Umi in Tulum said all of their guests had left. “With these conditions, we’ll be completely locked down,” he said, adding there were no plans to have guests return before July 10th.

The Playa del Carmen was closed Thursday as businesses boarded up windows while tourists and locals walked their dogs. The authorities shut down and evacuated the beachside hotels in Tulum.

Mexico prepared shelters, evacuated some small outlying coastal communities, and even moved sea turtle eggs off beaches because of the storm surge.

As the wind began gusting over Tulum’s white sand beaches on Thursday afternoon, four-wheelers with megaphones rolled along the sand telling people to leave. Tourists snapped photos of the growing surf, but military personnel urged them to leave as Beryl headed to an expected landfall around Tulum early Friday.

The storm’s center was about 135 miles (220 kilometers) east-southeast of Tulum, Mexico, and was moving west-northwest at 16 mph (about 26 kph), the hurricane center said.

The most immediate threat is now that the storms is moving away from the Islands, Jack Beven said.

Lpez Obrador wrote that it was recommended that people get to higher ground, shelters, or homes of friends or family elsewhere. You should not hesitate, material possessions can be replaced.

Source: Hurricane Beryl strengthens back into a Category 3 storm as it nears Mexico

The first Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic to close to Tulum, Puerto Rico, and the Cayman Islands, during the Mayreau and Union Island storms

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador issued a statement saying Beryl may make a direct hit on Tulum, which, while smaller than Cancun, still holds thousands of tourists and residents.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Beryl, which was the earliest Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic, now had winds of 115 mph (185 kph ) after weakening earlier Thursday.

Nearby, Carlton Golding said ruefully, “I lost everything this time.” The second time that he has suffered damage from a storm, Golding’s house was completely destroyed.

In Clarendon, residents mend damaged roofs and clear downed trees. Many roadways in the area remained partially blocked from downed electricity and telecommunication poles.

The premier of the Cayman Islands expressed her gratitude for the support of the residents and visitors ahead of the storm.

Michelle Forbes, the St. Vincent and Grenadines director of the National Emergency Management Organization, said that about 95% of homes in Mayreau and Union Island have been damaged by Hurricane Beryl.

Three people were reported killed in Grenada and Carriacou and another in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, officials said. Four people are missing and three other people have died in northern Venezuela.

Source: Hurricane Beryl strengthens back into a Category 3 storm as it nears Mexico

Aletta, the Largest Tropical Hurricane in the Universe, and its Respiration Decay on Thursday, March 4: A Significance Signature of Tropical Storm Aletta

Tropical Storm Aletta formed off Mexico’s coast on Thursday, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. Aletta, which was located about 190 miles (310 kilometers) from Manzanillo and had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph), was forecast to head away from land and dissipate by the weekend.