When Cyclone Gati made landfall in Somalia in November 2020, it was one of the strongest cyclones to hit the country since satellite records began. It brought heavy rainfall, causing widespread flooding and significant damage to infrastructure and homes.

Cyclone Hidaya impacted East Africa in May this year, particularly Kenya and Tanzania. Although it weakened considerably upon landfall, it brought heavy rains and strong winds to the southern regions of Tanzania. The cyclone caused severe flooding, exacerbating a critical situation due to previous heavy rains. Over 155 fatalities were reported in Tanzania due to flood-related incidents, and more than 200,000 refugees in camps were affected by the extreme weather conditions.

In Kenya, the heavy rains associated with one of the Cyclones Hidaya resulted in significant flooding, with over 228 deaths reported due to floods and landslides. Additionally, around 200,000 people were displaced, including nearly 20,000 refugees in the Dadaab refugee camps, according to the United Nations Report.

Major storms have impacted regions from the Philippines in the western Pacific, to the Canary Islands in the eastern Atlantic, to Japan and Florida in the middle latitudes, and even to western Alaska and the Canadian Maritimes in the high latitudes. Many people are questioning the role that rising global temperatures play in such storms. The answer is complex and not always straightforward.

The ocean’s temperature and the atmosphere are crucial for hurricane formation. Hurricanes gain energy from the heat released when ocean water evaporates and then condenses into rain within the storm. A warmer ocean increases evaporation, providing more water to the atmosphere.

Additionally, a warmer atmosphere can retain more water, leading to increased rainfall. This increased rainfall releases more heat, which in turn generates stronger winds. Therefore, as global temperatures rise, the potential for greater evaporation and higher rain rates is true in general for all types of storms, on land or sea.

Additionally, a Storm happens when waters rise above their normal levels and are pushed inland by wind- is related to several factors including storm speed, storm size, wind direction, and coastal sea bottom topography. Stronger storms increase the potential for higher surges, and rising temperatures are causing sea levels to rise, which increases the water height, so the storm surge is now higher than before concerning the land.

Understanding how the number of hurricanes that form each year might change remains a significant challenge. There is no clear theory explaining the current number of storms or predicting future changes. Beyond the necessary environmental conditions to fuel a storm, its formation depends on disturbances in the atmosphere. Scientists are currently debating the role of these pre-storm disturbances in influencing the number of hurricanes in present and future climates or cyclones occurrence.

Natural climate variations, like El Niño and La Niña, also significantly affect hurricane development and location. Ongoing research aims to understand how these and other natural variations will evolve and impact future hurricane activity.