Hurricane Waves in Americas Getting 20% Bigger Each Decade

Eco Watch - Mexico, the United States and Caribbean countries are being pummeled by hurricane waves that have increased in size by 80 percent over the past four decades, according to a first-of-its-kind global trend study led by China’s Hohai University. The researchers looked at long-term differences in the surface area and height of tropical cyclone waves on the ocean’s surface globally since 1979, a press release from the University of Reading said. The research team discovered that the coverage area of North Atlantic Ocean waves generated by hurricanes grew by almost 20 percent — around 64,479 square miles, approximately the size of Florida — each decade. “The rapid growth of tropical cyclone waves over recent decades is extremely worrying given their immense danger to communities, businesses and ecosystems. Our results show that the threat from their waves is escalating fast across the globe,” said co-author of the study Dr. Xiangbo Feng, a tropical storm expert with the University of Reading, in the press release.