SYRACUSE -- Global warming is a very hot topic of discussion these days and a recent study may put out some of the flames. Researchers at the University of Hawaii have found that the rise in water temperatures associated with global warming doesn’t correlate into an increase in tropical thunderstorms and hurricanes.
Using weather sensing equipment lead author Nat Johnson noticed as the water temperature of the ocean goes up, so does the threshold temperature for thunderstorm development. Often meteorologists will mention a minimum water temperature of 80 degrees needed for hurricanes to form and survive.
Bottom line, as the water temperature has risen, thunderstorms have not increased due to the temperature for formation going up at the same rate at the same time. Hence, no increase in hurricanes at least from an increase in water temperature.
In this web story I’m not going to touch on weather or not global warming is happening and what is responsible for the warming. I’ll leave that to the true climate experts who deal with this everyday in their employment, rather than pass on to you which ideas put out by others that I personally believe in. You can read more on this particular study here on the University of Hawaii’s website.
