Citation

Krämer K. Nature 2023; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1038/d41586-023-03404-9

PMID

37903931

Abstract

Tropical storm Otis shocked meteorologists when it turned into the strongest hurricane to ever strike Mexico.

"In moments like these, forecasters utterly failed," says meteorologist Matt Lanza. "We must do better." One of the reasons this took forecasters by surprise is that computer models struggle to predict rapid changes that can occur in smaller storms. Otis intensified over a small area in the Pacific Ocean, where the local winds speeds and water temperatures of 31 °C provided the ideal conditions for the storm to worsen. Scientists have warned that these situations are more likely to happen owing to climate change.

Language: en