Hawaii has never seen a hurricane like this

Unprecedented storms like Lane are more likely now because of global warming. According to NASA, “The planet’s average surface temperature has risen about 1.62 degrees Fahrenheit (0.9 degrees Celsius) since the late 19th century, a change driven largely by increased carbon dioxide and other human-made emissions into the atmosphere.” Climate change has also raised the average sea surface temperature significantly, and as CBS News reported last week, high seawater temperatures increase the risk of Pacific Ocean hurricanes. Seawater temperatures are particularly high right now. “Researchers at the Scripps Pier in California have already recorded water temperatures as high as 79.5 degrees, about 10 degrees above normal,” another CBS News report read.