A newly released study confirms that climate change significantly contributed to the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa, influencing increased wind speeds and rainfall across the affected regions.
The storm, which affected Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba, resulted in significant destruction, including severe flooding, landslides, and loss of lives. The analysis by World Weather Attribution highlights that climate change has made these environmental conditions six times more likely compared to pre-industrial times.
Researchers noted that Melissa's maximum wind speeds were boosted by 7%, and rainfall intensity increased by 16%, primarily due to higher ocean temperatures, which averaged around 1.4°C (2.5°F) warmer than historical data.
Experts stress the importance of understanding climate change's influence on storm intensity, particularly given the rise of rapid intensification events in hurricanes. The methodology of this study is praised for linking faster wind speeds to potential economic damage, emphasizing the broader implications of climate change on natural disasters.
As the scientific community continues to study the connections between climate change and extreme weather events, findings such as those related to Hurricane Melissa reinforce a growing concern about future storms becoming increasingly destructive and unpredictable.
