It’s a beautiful visualization showing storm counts from 1851-2023, but when you consider the meaning behind this chart and how it relates to climate change, you’ll realize the sad reality we are i as the numbers of tropical systems have generally been increasing as a result of climate change.
This is also something to think about with recent storms like Helene and Milton.
Data source: NOAA/NHC HURDAT
by FunnyLizardExplorer
7 Comments
Plotted using python and Matplotlib.
Original data file: https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/hurdat/hurdat2-1851-2023-051124.txt
Google collab with scripts: https://colab.research.google.com/drive/16mTfIw0v7-Be9Q5H5P9gsALHj5sWrJd1?usp=sharing
It would be interesting to do a yearly plot for each storms’ lowest measured pressure or how quickly storms are strengthening. Two measures scientists also point to as an effect of climate change.
Fl magats that just got hit twice in a month: “it’s a hoax!”
this is misleading cause its not adjusted for airplane and satellite coverage.
[https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators/climate-change-indicators-tropical-cyclone-activity](https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators/climate-change-indicators-tropical-cyclone-activity)
One thing missing here is the use of weather satellites to spot hurricanes that may never move onto land. This started in the 60s. Not saying that boat observations missed them all, but it does help to ensure full coverage and may be a contributing factor of the increase.
Obviously that doesn’t account for all of it. I do think climate change is more likely to increase the strength and intensity of the storm and not necessarily the quantity of storms.
It would be more interesting to compare known detection parameters for say 1890 vs 2024 and then recount how many hurricanes formed
Looks like we’re declining slightly since the decade surrounding 1975.