Unusually warm ocean temperatures contributed to Hurricane Beryl's rapid intensification. Climate Central’s (Ocean CSI), which quantifies the influence of climate change on sea surface temperatures, found that the storm developed and intensified over waters whose elevated temperatures were made up to 400 times more likely by human-caused climate change.
Key takeaways
Hurricane Beryl rapidly intensified as it passed over waters that were 2°–3°F warmer than normal.
The sea surface temperatures that fueled Hurricane Beryl are typically expected in September, not June.
Human-caused climate change made these temperatures 100–400 times more likely.
“Beryl is a striking illustration that this year’s hurricanes are growing in an environment clearly warmed by human-caused climate change.” - Dr. Daniel Gilford, climate scientist, Climate Central
What is significant about Hurricane Beryl?
was a catastrophic North Atlantic storm during late June through early July 2024. Beryl's development and rapid intensification were facilitated by record-breaking warm ocean conditions and a period of lower-than-average . Beryl’s maximum winds peaked at approximately 165 mph just west of the Lesser Antilles, making it the earliest season hurricane in recorded history. Beryl caused about in the U.S. alone and killed at least 60 people during landfalls in the Caribbean, Yucatán Peninsula, and U.S. Gulf Coast.
How did ocean temperatures play a role?
As ocean temperatures warm in response to climate change, they provide unnatural extra fuel for tropical cyclones to intensify, and that storms will undergo rapid intensification — increasing maximum sustained winds by at least 30 kt (about 35 mph) in a 24-hour period.
It is important to note that the Ocean CSI does not directly quantify how climate change affected Hurricane Beryl’s intensity; instead it speaks to the ocean conditions that allowed Beryl to become a historical and record-breaking storm.
The sea surface temperature over which Hurricane Beryl rapidly intensified was about 1.8°C (3.2°F) warmer than normal (based on the ). The Ocean CSI indicates these temperatures were made 100–400 times more likely because of human-caused climate change.