Devastating hurricanes will become more common over the coming decades according to a study published in Nature. The report by scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta linked rising sea temperatures due to global warming to an increase in hurricane intensity and frequency. The researchers arrived at the conclusion after examining data for a range of climate variables thought to contribute to the formation of category 4 and 5 hurricanes.

Researcher Judith Curry warned that rising sea temperatures will mean more devastating hurricanes like Katrina. ‘The inference is that if you keep warming things up, you’re going to get more intense storms,’ she said.