What would happen to the numbers of hurricanes if global warming changed El Niño?
Here’s what Chris Landsea has to say about this in his FAQ: “ENSO is the largest single factor controlling year-to-year variability of tropical cyclones globally If the warm phase of ENSO (the “El Niño” events) occurred more often and/or with more intensity, then the inhabitants along the Atlantic basin and Australia would have fewer tropical cyclones to worry about. But people living in Hawaii and in the South Central Pacific would have more storms to deal with. The reverse would be true if the cold phase (or “La Niña”) became more prevalent.” The question below has a link to this part of Landsea’s FAQ. For information on El Niño and climate change, go to the last question in USA TODAY’s FAQ about El Niño.
