Increased sea temperatures linked to stronger hurricanes

Critics may dismiss the dangers of global warming, but increasing sea temperatures are nonetheless linked to more intense Atlantic hurricanes, according to the 2006 edition of the annual publication, the Hazard & Risk Science Review.Researched and edited by Professor Bill McGuire, director of the Benfield UCL Hazard Research Centre (BUHRC), and jointly sponsored by Benfield and PartnerRe, the Hazard & Risk Science Review 2006 provides a unique digest of over 75 scientific research papers published during the last 12 months. The papers focus on the four major areas of natural hazards relevant to catastrophe insurance and reinsurance: atmospheric, geological, hydrological and climate change hazards. “The critical element of the report focuses on the issue of climate change and tropical cyclone activity,” McGuire says in a press release. “While there are detractors, an emerging consensus suggests that rising sea surface temperatures may be causing Atlantic hurricanes to become more intense over time.”If a climate change signal is already becoming apparent, then prospects are high for progressively increased losses as the Earth continues to warm.”The 2006 Review presents a detailed summary of a large volume of research studies undertaken into atmospheric hazards since last year’s record Atlantic hurricane season. Also reviewed is a proposal for the use of an alternative system to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale for categorizing hurricanes one that provides a better means of predicting their disaster potential.Other headline items in the issue include:- Seismic hazard risk to southern California, plus the latest news from the New Madrid Seismic Zone- Anthropogenic seafloor methane threatens submarine landslides and tsunamis. The risks affecting coastal zones, including offshore drilling and pipelines over next 100 years, is highlighted – An innovative model for predicting volcanic eruptions.- Publication of a new economic flood risk map- A slowdown of Gulf Stream and associated currents is posing a cooling threat to the United Kingdom and Europe