19. Kerry Emanuel on hurricanes and hypercanes in a warming world

Challenging Climate

Professor Kerry Emanuel is a prominent meteorologist and climate scientist working at the Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences at MIT. His research focuses on tropical meteorology and climate, with a specialty in hurricane physics. In this episode, we spoke with Kerry about what distinguishes a hurricane from tropical storms and tornadoes, and the dangers these natural hazards pose to societies. We also cover how these threats will evolve in an increasingly warming world, and what a hypercane is.
Links:

• Kerry Emanuel's profile
• Kerry's website
• Carbon brief on a new study showing hurricanes strengthening and intensifying
• Kerry's book, Divine Wind: The History and Science of Hurricanes

Further information on hurricane impacts

• Fewer deaths in tropical storms in recent decades
• Economic impacts of hurricanes
• The hypercane
• Normalized hurricane damage has not changed

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Chapters

1. 19. Kerry Emanuel on hurricanes and hypercanes in a warming world (00:00:00)

2. Introduction and background (00:01:49)

3. What is the difference between a storm, hurricane and tornado? (00:02:40)

4. Hurricane safari: what would you see inside a storm? (00:09:38)

5. The damages and dangers of storms (00:15:40)

6. Why is the death toll of storms falling? (00:21:45)

7. How are hurricanes changing in a warming world? (00:25:38)

8. What is a hypercane? (00:41:07)

9. What gives you optimism for the future? (00:44:07)