By Noreen Ahmed-Ullah
Hurricane Irma – reported to be the size of France – roared through the Caribbean, leaving a path of destruction and bearing down on Puerto Rico and Florida.
Less than a week after Tropical Storm Harvey tore through Texas and Louisiana, causing at least 65 deaths and billions of dollars in damages, Hurricane Irma is expected to be one of the most powerful hurricanes on record with maximum sustained winds of 185 mph – far above the 157 mph threshold of a Category 5 storm. On its heels still remains Jose, currently a tropical storm, in the mid-Atlantic. And early Wednesday, Tropical Storm Katia was developing in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico. U of T News spoke with Athena Masson, a PhD researcher in the department of physical and environmental sciences at U of T Scarborough who specializes in Atlantic-based hurricanes, on the frequency of the storms.
“While there is currently no direct link between climate change and an increase in major hurricanes, it is important to note that the more hurricanes that are forming will increase the chances of the Atlantic producing more intense storms,” she says.