Climate change boosted Hurricane Polo more than El Nino
A new study just revealed that climate change gave Hurricane Polo an extra boost, making it even stronger than El Nino did.
Researchers found that warmer ocean temperatures, mostly caused by global warming, helped Polo reach Category five in September 2026.
In fact, climate change added more power to the storm than El Nino itself.
Study: hurricane conditions 23 times likelier
The study says climate change made the conditions that fueled the hurricane 23 times more likely, while El Nino increased the odds 14 times.
Brian Tang was initially surprised that the research found climate change to be the bigger influence on Polo.
As one researcher put it, "El Nino and climate change both made this hurricane stronger than it would have otherwise been, but the effect of climate change is even bigger than the one of El Nino."
With fossil fuel use continuing, experts warn we'll see even more intense storms ahead.