What the weather men and boffins were not saying, when Tropical Storm Delta swept through the Canary Islands last November, leaving a path of destruction in it's wake, but which was logically apparent to the local populace, was that the then unheard of phenomenon must have been caused by the warming sea - more precisely the warming Gulf Stream - that in turn was caused by the actions, such as greenhouse gas emissions, of human beings.

This report from the BBC, which says that "Hurricane formation is strongly linked to sea surface temperature, with warmer waters more likely to form storms." and confirms our instincts, saying that, "Scientists calculate that two-thirds of the recent rise in sea temperatures, thought to fuel hurricanes, is down to anthropogenic emissions."

This would suggest that poor little islands like the Canaries are beholden to the actions of large countries on the other side of the North Atlantic, whose actions are changing our climate. The big question is, if such storms are more likely and thus more likely to be repeated in the Canary Islands, are we ready for it, or are we still in denial and hoping finger crossing will do as a prevention?

Humans 'causing stronger storms'

Labels: Tenerife Weather

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