Climate change could mean more hurricanes
Story By: Bea Karnes
Source: AP
New research shows the jet stream is slowly creeping northward and weakening. That could mean less rain in the already dry Southern Hemisphere and more storms in the North. The changing conditions could also translate into more and stronger hurricanes. That's because the jet stream suppresses their formation.
The study's authors say they have to do more research to pinpoint specific consequences. They suspect global warming but have yet to prove it. But they say if you want an idea of what kind of weather you could be getting in a few decades, just look south of where you are now. The study is published in the journal Geophysical Research
Letters.
The jet stream is a high-speed, constantly shifting river of air about 30,000 feet above the ground that guides storm systems and cool air around the globe.
