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While it is difficult to attribute single hurricane events to anthropogenic climate change, the increased frequency and strength of these powerful storms is almost certainly a result of higher atmospheric and ocean temperatures.

The saturation vapor pressure of water in the air is directly related to temperature. This means that even small increases in atmospheric temperature can lead to a substantial increase of moisture in the air. This moisture can then be released in extreme precipitation events.

In the case of hurricanes, warm air and warm water interact to form and power the storm, and warmer ocean temperatures are allowing more intense hurricanes to form and be sustained as they move across the oceans before making landfall.