September 23, 2005

Hurricanes Have Grown More Intense Since 1970, Researchers Find

By RICHARD MONASTERSKY

The number of intense hurricanes developing around the globe has climbed markedly in the past 35 years, according to researchers who mined storm data from the tropical ocean basins.

While the total number of tropical cyclones has waxed and waned over the decades with no overall change, the proportion that reach the status of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes -- the strongest cyclones -- has climbed from 20 percent to 35 percent since 1970, according to Peter J. Webster, a professor

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