Number of cyclones steady, but storms more intense due to climate change
While the number of tropical cyclones has remained steady over the past four decades, their intensity has significantly increased, according to international databases that confirm climatologists' projections.
Since 1980, tropical cyclones – also commonly known as hurricanes and typhoons – have been occurring at an average of 47 per year, according to global data coordinated by the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and recognised by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
But while the frequency of these storms has remained relatively steady, new findings show that their intensity is increasing.
Data comparing the period from 1981 to 2010 with the last decade reveals a rise in the average maximum wind speed of cyclones, from 182kph to 192kph – a 5 percent increase.
Previously, around one in 10 tropical cyclones surpassed 250kph, but that figure has increased to 1.4 in 10 over the past decade – representing a 40 percent rise in the number of category five cyclones on the Saffir-Simpson scale.
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