A Punishing Winter in the North Atlantic Too
The winter storms that lashed England with record floods in February were among an unusually high number of hurricane-force storms in the North Atlantic this winter, according to NOAA's Ocean Prediction Center.
Between October 2013 and March 2014, 43 hurricane-force storms blasted the North Atlantic, the Ocean Predication Center said today in a statement. The storm totals for 2012-2013 were slightly lower, with 41 hurricane-force events between October and April. However, only 22 of those storms rapidly intensified, a process called bombogenesis. In 2013-2014, 30 storms blew up into hurricane-force strength, with dangerous winds, rain and snow. Another difference: More of this year's storms tracked further to the south than in 2012-2013, aiming for Britain instead of Greenland. The most intense system hit on Dec. 24, 2013, northwest of the British Isles.
Read more: Is Climate Change to Blame for UK's Floods?
Email Becky Oskin or follow her @beckyoskin. Follow us @livescience, Facebook& Google+.
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