In late October, Hurricane Melissa swept across the Caribbean, leaving death and destruction in its wake. With winds of over 80 meters per second, it was the most powerful storm to hit Jamaica in 174 years.
According to a rapid analysis from the World Weather Attribution (WWA) research network, both the hurricane's wind speed and precipitation increased as a result of climate change.
The study also points out that the atmospheric and oceanic conditions that lead to such powerful storms have become six times more likely due to climate change.
“Melissa destroyed livelihoods, infrastructure and lives in just a few hours, but the conditions for the monster storm have been building for decades,” says Jayaka Campbell, from the University of the West Indies, one of the researchers behind the study, in a press release.
“Every fraction of a degree we prevent temperatures from rising, every investment in resilient infrastructure, every dollar spent on adaptation in vulnerable regions is the difference between survival and disaster for millions of people.”
