Jeff Berardelli is WFLA's Chief Meteorologist and Climate Specialist. For the latest updates on Tampa Bay weather and climate, follow him on X and Bluesky.

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Hurricane Melissa was one of the strongest hurricanes on record in the Atlantic. So is that proof that climate change is amplifying hurricanes?

The short answer is no. Evidence of climate change requires a much longer record.

However, that record does show a very dramatic increase in the strongest hurricanes and the rate at which these storms intensify.

While Hurricane Melissa was certainly in the top echelon of Atlantic hurricanes, there have been other comparable hurricanes such as the Labor Day hurricane of 1935. Since the impact of climate change didn't really ramp up until a few decades ago, it's clear the

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