In November, the West Pacific experienced a rare event with four tropical cyclones occurring at once—the first time this has happened since 1961. This unusual weather event led to discussions about the role of climate change in global weather patterns. At the same time, the Philippines faced its sixth typhoon in one month, including the deadly Supertyphoon Man-Yi, which has caused over 160 deaths since October. In the Atlantic, two powerful Category 5 hurricanes, Helene and Milton, hit Florida, causing widespread destruction.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) explains that higher global temperatures make storms stronger by increasing evaporation and raising sea surface temperatures, which leads to stronger winds and heavier rainfall. However, scientists say that it is difficult to link specific weather events directly to climate change since other factors also play a role. Research shows that the sub-tropical ridge, a high-pressure system, has moved unusually north, pushing storms into warmer waters that help them grow. While climate change likely makes storms stronger, it may also reduce their frequency during the later part of the storm season. Studies have shown that warmer ocean temperatures in the Atlantic have increased hurricane wind speeds by 18 mph since 2019. Experts agree that while storm intensity is clearly increasing, more research is needed to fully understand how climate change affects the clustering of storms.