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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Oliver Milman and agency

Warming oceans probably fueling Hurricane Melissa’s rapid intensification

Hurricane Ocean Melissa Hurricane Melissa Akshay Deoras Climate Central
an aerial view of a hurricane
Hurricane Melissa south-east of Jamaica on Monday. Photograph: RAMMB/CIRA/AFP/Getty Images

The extraordinary intensification of Hurricane Melissa, set to be one of the strongest storms to ever hit Jamaica, is probably a symptom of the rapid heating of the world’s oceans, scientists have said.

Melissa was a tropical storm on Saturday, before exploding in strength to a category 4 hurricane early on Sunday. The storm’s winds escalated from 70mph to 140mph in just a day, one of the fastest intensifications on record in the Atlantic Ocean.

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