Climate Change

This is the first time that three hurricanes have the potential to make landfall at the same time. This satellite animation shows Category 4 Hurricane Irma approach the Bahamas, followed by Hurricane Jose approaching the Leeward Islands. And, hurricane Katia continues to spin in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico.

“Quite simply,” wrote Eric Holthaus for Grist overnight, “meteorologists never expected a storm like Irma. The storm appears to have exceeded (or is about to exceed) the maximum theoretical strength for a hurricane in its environment — an estimate based on current water temperature and other conditions.”

The new report, “Snow, Water, Ice and Permafrost in the Arctic,” found that previous estimates of sea level rise didn’t account enough for the fast pace of melting ice in the Arctic and Greenland. Climate Central created 3D visualizations of what U.S. cities will look like in NOAA’s most extreme scenario.