Anthropogenic effects on tropical cyclones near Western Europe

Abstract

There is less consensus on whether human activities have significantly altered tropical cyclone (TC) statistics, given the relatively short duration of reliable observed records. Understanding and projecting TC frequency change is more challenging in certain coastal regions with lower TC activity yet high exposure, such as Western Europe. Here, we show, with large-ensemble simulations, that the observed increase in TC frequency near Western Europe from 1966 to 2020 is likely linked to the anthropogenic aerosol effect. Under a future scenario featuring regionally controlled aerosol emissions and substantially increased greenhouse gas concentrations (Shared Socioeconomic Pathway 5-85), our simulations show a potential decrease in TC frequency near Western Europe by the end of the 21st century. These contrasting trends in historical and future TC frequencies are primarily due to the rise for 1966–2020 and potentially subsequent fall for 2030–2100 in TC genesis frequency in the North Atlantic. The response of large-scale environmental conditions to anthropogenic forcing is found to be crucial in explaining the historical and future changes in TC frequency near Western Europe.