{"id":479630,"date":"2026-10-16T09:47:07","date_gmt":"2026-10-16T16:47:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=479630"},"modified":"2026-10-16T09:47:10","modified_gmt":"2026-10-16T16:47:10","slug":"wrong-media-climate-centrals-claim-of-supercharged-hurricane-isaias-is-false","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=479630","title":{"rendered":"Wrong Media, Climate Central\u2019s Claim of \u2018Supercharged\u2019 Hurricane Isaias Is False"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Infographic
AI generated by Meta<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

From ClimateRealism<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Anthony Watts<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Screenshot<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

EDITORS NOTE:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On October 9th, as Hurricane Isaias<\/a> closed in on the coast, Climate Central put out a rapid  attribution analysis<\/a> saying human-caused warming had heated the water under the storm and added about 7 mph to its winds.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Climate Central\u2019s claim was carried by WSMV-TV<\/a> and many other media outlets.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That same day, a reader asked Chris Martz about a claim attributed to Al Roker<\/a>, that Isaias was fueled by a Gulf running 5 to 6 degrees above normal. Climate Realism was unable to find the claim online. It probably occurred during a TV segment.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chris, a friend of Climate Realism, answered with data. His post follows, with a few notes added by Charles Rotter from WUWT.<\/a> Chris Martz says:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Al Roker is not an actual meteorologist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But I am.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You ask a really good question. And while Roker has opinions, I have data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, it is true that tropical cyclones (TCs) operate as thermodynamic heat engines sustained by ocean-to-atmosphere enthalpy fluxes, including sensible and latent heat transfer, with latent heat released during condensation, which maintain the deep convection. The higher the sea surface temperatures (SSTs) are, the higher the likelihood for TC intensification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, SST anomalies represent departures from climatological averages rather than absolute SSTs. That means below-average SSTs can still support an intense hurricane. In fact, the Gulf of Mexico (or Gulf of America; call it whatever you want) is warm enough during late August, September, and early October every year to support a hurricane of category four or five strength. That has always been the case and it always will be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Al Roker is not an actual meteorologist.

But I am.

You ask a really good question. And while Roker has opinions, I have data.

Yes, it is true that tropical cyclones (TCs) operate as thermodynamic heat engines sustained by ocean-to-atmosphere enthalpy fluxes, including\u2026 https:\/\/t.co\/oOBj677H0U<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/vBZ3WW5iK5<\/a><\/p>— Chris Martz (@ChrisMartzWX) October 10, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote>