Climate change will expand the range of tropical cyclones making millions more vulnerable to these devastating storms, according to a new study.
The new study published in a recent issue of the journal Nature Geoscience said, at present these cyclones – or hurricanes as they are also known – are mainly confined to the tropical regions north and south of the equator, however, the rising temperatures will allow these weather events to form in the mid-latitudes which include cities such as New York, Beijing, Boston and Tokyo.
The study projects that a warming climate will see the formation of more of these types of storms in the mid-latitudes, where most of the world’s population lives, and where most economic activity takes place.
The study has revealed that as the world gets hotter, the difference in temperature between the equator and polar regions will decline, and this will impact the flow of the jet streams. Normally, these high-altitude rivers of air act as a kind of border guard for hurricanes, keeping them closer to the equator.
The question of the impact of human-induced climate change on hurricanes has been contentious in the past, but recent research suggests that the connections are becoming clearer.
The study said this course is not set in stone and dramatic reductions in carbon emissions over the next decade particularly, could alter the outcome. M