Climate change brings more rapidly intensifying hurricanes; NOAA cuts makes forecasting them harder

Climate change brings more rapidly intensifying hurricanes; NOAA cuts makes forecasting them harder

This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters As Hurricane Helene roared toward the Florida Panhandle on September 26, 2024, the storm put on an intimidating display of rapid intensification, ramping up from a Category 1 hurricane with 80 mph (129 km/h) winds to a Cat 4 monster with 140 mph (225 km/h) winds in the 24 hours before landfall. Storm damage rises exponentially as the winds increase, so this rise in intensity increas…