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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Climate change
These figures support the conclusions of the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which has warned that climate change is likely to increase the frequency of the most destructive cyclones, particularly categories four and five.
"If one can assume climate change is responsible for these trends, make no mistake, the humanitarian catastrophes generated by cyclones are largely due to poverty, vulnerability and a lack of protection for the affected populations," Robert Vautard, climatologist and IPCC official, told French news agency AFP.
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In 2024, up to 15 December, there were 42 tropical cyclones, including 19 that made landfall.
The most powerful of the year was Hurricane Milton, which hit the US coast on 10 October, with wind speeds reaching 278kph.
The West Pacific was the hardest-hit region, enduring 15 typhoons – six in the Philippines alone.
On 16 December, Cyclone Chido hit the French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean.
The latest official death toll – given by authorities on 24 December – was 39, with 124 people seriously injured and more than 4,000 slightly injured.
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(with AFP)
