Go Back
  • For Business
  • |
  • Warnings
  • Data Suite
  • Newsletters
  • Advertising
  • Superior Accuracy™
At least 5 dead amid West Virginia flooding as search continues for several missing Chevron right

Columbus, OH

70°F
Location Chevron down
Location News Videos
Use Current Location
Recent

Columbus

Ohio

70°
No results found.
Try searching for a city, zip code or point of interest.
settings
Columbus, OH Weather
Today WinterCast Local {stormName} Tracker Hourly Daily Radar MinuteCast Monthly Air Quality Health & Activities

Around the Globe

Hurricane Tracker

Severe Weather

Radar & Maps

News

News & Features

Astronomy

Business

Climate

Health

Recreation

Sports

Travel

For Business

Warnings

Data Suite

Newsletters

Advertising

Superior Accuracy™

Video

Winter Center

AccuWeather Early Hurricane Center Top Stories Trending Today Astronomy Heat Climate Health Recreation In Memoriam Case Studies Blogs & Webinars

News / Hurricane

Hurricane Otis’ explosive intensification is a symptom of the climate crisis, scientists say

By Rachel Ramirez, CNN

Published Oct 27, 2023 10:12 AM EDT | Updated Oct 27, 2023 10:12 AM EDT

Copied

Vast sections of the Mexican city of Acapulco are in ruins after Hurricane Otis became the first Category 5 hurricane to strike Mexico’s Pacific coast in recorded history.

(CNN) — The rapid intensification Hurricane Otis underwent in the hours before it slammed into southern Mexico is a symptom of the human-caused climate crisis, scientists say – and one that is becoming more frequent. When it happens right before landfall, as it did with Otis, it can catch coastal communities by surprise with little time to prepare.

The hurricane’s intensification was among the fastest forecasters have ever seen: its top-end windspeed increased by 115 mph in 24 hours. Only one other storm, Hurricane Patricia in 2015, exceeded Otis’ rapid intensification in East Pacific records, with a 120-mph increase in 24 hours.

The term rapid intensification refers to when a storm’s winds strengthen rapidly over a short amount of time. Scientists have defined it as a wind speed increase of at least 35 mph in 24 hours or less, and it generally requires significant ocean heat. The National Hurricane Center said Otis strengthened so fast on Tuesday that it had “explosively intensified.”

Otis “took full advantage of a warm patch of ocean” that was roughly 88 degrees Fahrenheit, said Brian McNoldy, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Miami – more than enough ocean heat to fuel a monster storm.

Hurricane Otis devastates Acapulco, Mexico
Twitter

More than 90% of warming around the globe over the past 50 years has taken place in the oceans, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In addition, an El Niño is growing in the Pacific this year, driving ocean temperatures even higher.

Otis’ strengthening “was extremely unusual,” McNoldy told CNN. “It’s unfortunate it happened right before making landfall, but if this had occurred over the open ocean, it still would have been very remarkable.”

Tropical storms usually take several days to grow into powerful hurricanes, but with human-caused climate change, rapid intensification is becoming a more common occurrence, said Suzana Camargo, hurricane expert and professor at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory.

“It’s very rare for intense storms to make landfall in Mexico’s eastern Pacific side,” Camargo told CNN.

Only one hurricane, Category 1 Hurricane Max in 2017, has made landfall within 50 miles of Acapulco, according to a CNN analysis of NOAA data.

“But we have an El Niño year, which makes the eastern north Pacific Ocean more active than normal, and on top of that you have anthropogenic climate change,” Camargo said.

Hurricane Otis is seen here approaching Mexico's Pacific coast near Acapulco on October 24. The rapid intensification Hurricane Otis underwent in the hours before it slammed into southern Mexico is a symptom of the human-caused climate crisis. (NOAA/AP)

The alarming rapid intensification trend has also been reported in the Atlantic.

A recent study found that Atlantic hurricanes may now be more than twice as likely to strengthen from a weak Category 1 storm to a major Category 3 in a 24-hour period than they were between 1970 and 1990.

A 2019 study found that between the 1980s and early 200s, Atlantic hurricanes showed a “highly unusual” increase in rapid intensification – a trend the report said could only be explained by human-caused climate change. And, concerningly, scientists found significant intensification was happening to the strongest storms, making the most life-threatening hurricanes even more dangerous.

Rapid intensification has been historically hard to predict, but with climate change making oceans warmer, scientists are confident it is a phenomenon that will occur more often.

“All of this is just confirming what we expected,” Camargo said.

More to read:

Hurricane Otis turns deadly in devastating blow to Acapulco, Mexico
Cyclone Lola leaves behind 'major' damage in Vanuatu
'Monster' hurricanes keep getting stronger, analysis shows

The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

Report a Typo

Weather News

video

Shark season returning to the Jersey Shore

Jun. 13, 2025
Weather Forecasts

More stormy downpours for northeast US, but heatwave is on horizon

Jun. 16, 2025
Weather News

Wildfire smoke to limit number of days with deep blue sky this summer

Jun. 12, 2025
Show more Show less Chevron down

Topics

AccuWeather Early

Hurricane Center

Top Stories

Trending Today

Astronomy

Heat

Climate

Health

Recreation

In Memoriam

Case Studies

Blogs & Webinars

Top Stories

Weather News

5 dead in West Virginia flooding, search continues for missing

1 hour ago

AccuWeather Ready

What everyone should know about these 3 most common types of flooding

2 hours ago

Severe Weather

North-central US faces daily bouts of severe weather

3 hours ago

Weather News

5.6 earthquake strikes near Lima, Peru, killing 1 and injuring several

2 hours ago

Weather Forecasts

More stormy downpours for northeast US, but heatwave is on horizon

19 minutes ago

More Stories

Featured Stories

Climate

If crucial ocean currents collapses, weather impact would be extreme

4 days ago

Weather News

No injuries after JetBlue plane rolls onto grass after landing

3 days ago

Astronomy

Accidental find in planetarium could shift understanding of solar syst...

4 days ago

Climate

New Zealand sued over ‘inadequate’ plan to reduce emissions

4 days ago

Weather News

New images reveal treasures aboard ‘holy grail’ shipwreck

3 days ago

AccuWeather Hurricane Hurricane Otis’ explosive intensification is a symptom of the climate crisis, scientists say
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™ Personal Weather Stations
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™ Personal Weather Stations
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
© 2025 AccuWeather, Inc. "AccuWeather" and sun design are registered trademarks of AccuWeather, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | About Your Privacy Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

...

...

...