2024 hurricane season to see more storms like Beryl, scientist says

Scientists are predicting that based on the rapid intensification of Hurricane Beryl, the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane season will see some of the worst storms yet.

In an article from AP News highlighting Beryl’s historic development, experts say warm conditions in the Atlantic and Caribbean will make for a busy season.

“Beryl smashed multiple records even before its major-hurricane-level winds approached land. The powerful storm is acting more like monsters that form in the peak of hurricane season thanks mostly to water temperatures as hot or hotter than the region normally gets in September,” five hurricane experts told The Associated Press.

Beryl set the record for earliest Category 4 with winds of at least 130 mph (209 kilometres per hour) — the first-ever Category 4 in June. It also was the earliest storm to rapidly intensify with wind speeds jumping 63 mph (102 kph) in 24 hours, going from an unnamed depression to a Category 4 in 48 hours.

According to AP News, forecasters predicted months ago it was going to be a nasty year and now they are comparing it to record busy 1933 and deadly 2005 — the year of Katrina, Rita, Wilma and Dennis.

“This is the type of storm that we expect this year, these outlier things that happen when and where they shouldn’t,” University of Miami tropical weather researcher Brian McNoldy said. “Not only for things to form and intensify and reach higher intensities, but increase the likelihood of rapid intensification. All of that is just coming together right now, and this won’t be the last time.”

Atlantic waters have been unusually hot since March 2023 and record warm since April 2023. Klotzbach said a high-pressure system that normally sets up cooling trade winds collapsed then and hasn’t returned.

SOURCE: Jamaica Observer