New Record for Major Hurricanes
November 30, 2015
Plot of N Hem major hurricanes by year since 1970. 2015 has 30, 7 more than the previous record of 23 (1997 & 2004).
Graph from Phil Klotzbach via Twitter.
Major Hurricanes, that is, Category 3 or stronger, since 1970.
Statistically, the season is not over yet.
I have questions about this record, about the measurement of hurricane strength, and whether the record is long enough to be meaningful – but this is certainly suggestive that Kerry Emanuel and others, who have warned about increasing incidence of strong storms with climate change, may be on to something.
November 30, 2015 at 2:13 pm
30 major hurricanes this year does not seem correct. I count 2 in the Atlantic and 11 in the Pacific.
November 30, 2015 at 2:46 pm
take it up with Klotzbach at CSU. he’s on twitter at the link.