Hurricanes Likely to Occur over Wider Ranges and Increasingly Impact Cities like New York and Boston, according to New Research

Scientists predict that increasing global temperatures, due to climate change, will likely expand the range of hurricanes into mid-latitude areas where a large percentage of the human population lives. A new study, Poleward expansion of tropical cyclone latitudes in warming climates, contends that tropical cyclones “can form and intensify at higher latitudes than of those during pre-industrial conditions.” The new potential range of hurricanes include cities like New York, Beijing, Boston, and Tokyo.

Most scientists agree that human-caused climate change is contributing to more frequent and intense hurricanes. WaterISAC previously reported on a study which demonstrated that Atlantic Ocean hurricanes were becoming more intense. But this most recent study is one of the first to predict an expanded range for hurricanes. According to the study’s lead scientist, Dr. Joshua Studholme, “As the climate warms, that sort of jet stream activity that happens in the middle latitude, will weaken and in extreme cases split, allowing this sort of cyclone formation to occur.” Despite these predictions, scientists argue that significant reductions in carbon emissions over the next few decades could change these patterns. Read more at the BBC.