Australia 'time bomb': Tropics expansion nudges cyclone formation into new areas
By Peter Hannam
Tropical cyclones are forming further from the equator as the planet warms, bringing new regions into the zone of the intense storms including parts of eastern Australia, new research has found.
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“In most of the ocean basins, there appears to be a decrease in tropical cyclone formation closer to the equator, accompanied by an increase in formation further away from the equator,” said Kevin Walsh, a professor at the university's School of Earth Sciences, and a joint author of the paper published on Tuesday in Nature Climate Change.
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The expansion of the tropics, , had the potential to push the dry sub-tropics much further from the poles if greenhouse gas emissions continued to rise.
"It could be Brisbane to Sydney, Rome to London, by the end of the century," Professor Turton said.
He said areas such as the Gold Coast could be "a ticking time bomb" as cyclone tracks shifted southwards.
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