Are there more hurricanes than there used to be?

[Poiuyt]

And have they increased in intensity?

Last year, Florida got so hammered and they're talking about another bad season. Forgive my ignorance, but I was wondering if it was just my imagination, a coincidence, or if global warming was having an affect on tropical storms.

[Boomer]

1. This is going to be a bad season

Evidently 2005 has broken the record for most named storms this early in the storm season.

Two factors appear to be at work:

1) We're entering a cyclical upturn in storm activity, after a lull of about 20-30 years. This is a known fact, and some climatoligists claim this is the only reason for last year's hurricane debacle.

2) Due to climate change, the ocean's are warmer than before. Again, some climatologists are claiming this is an irrelevant or insignificant factor in the storm activity levels.

They may change their tune after this season....

[Baclava]

2. It's all my fault...

...I stopped the sacrifices...the Gods are not pleased...

[FloridaPat]

5. They didn't start naming hurricanes in the Atlantic until 1953. So that

really isn't a useful statement from the hurricane people.

Hurricanes for Florida:

1920-1940 - 6 major hurricanes
1940-1960 - 6 major hurricanes
1960-2004 - 2 major hurricanes.
2004 - 4 major hurricans

[TroubleMan]

3. Yes, here are some hypothesis I've read as to the reason:

1. Hurricane frequency follows a 25 year oscillation. You'll have about 25 years of having few hurricanes, and then you'll have 25 years of a lot more hurricanes. Apparently we're now in one of the "heavy" periods. They've only been taking this data for about 100 years, so I don't know how they can base this off such a small sampling (four 25 year periods)...but apparently that's the current thinking. Take that as you will, but I'm 50/50 on believing this one.

2. Global warming. The temperature of the Atlantic has risen without a doubt at least 1 degree Celsius, maybe two. A warmer Atlantic means more fuel for hurricanes. They feed and strengthen off of warm water. That the temperature of the Atlantic has risen is not in question, and the fact that warm water is more favorable for hurricanes is not in question, so that reason sounds really solid.

Also, global warming will slow down (or God forbid stop) the underwater conveyor belt that transfers heat between the equator areas and the poles (by melting the ice caps and reducing the salinity). That will make the cold areas get colder and the hot areas get hotter. That means a warmer mid-Atlantic and more favorable conditions for hurricanes. IMHO, that means that if we keep it up (global warming), it's just going to get worse.

I'm no expert, and have no degree, so don't take my word for it. I'm just parroting what the experts have said. I'm sitting here in West Palm Beach, FL, so as you can imagine I've taken an interest in hurricanes the last year or so. I've been reading a lot of varied and differing opinions, but those two reasons are stated by almost all the experts even when they disagree on others.

[Mutley]

4. I'd be inclined to say both regular cycles and global warming.

The 1920s saw storms similar in intensity and quantity that we're seeing today, and obviously global warming would not have been as much of a factor back then. But hurricanes are fueled by warm water, so it seems logical to assume that warmer water due to global warming will result in more numerous and more intense storms.

[Baclava]

6. Are there more sunspots than there used to be?

Life on earth is cyclical.
Mother earth doesn't much care about us fleas.