Birkel speaks to Grist on hurricanes in the Atlantic and climate change
In a story about Hurricane Lee, Grist interviewed Sean Birkel about the rarity of hurricanes in Maine and New England and how climate change is influencing the occurrence of one in the region this year. “Given the record-high sea-surface temperatures in the North Atlantic, it is interesting that in this year we see a hurricane barreling toward New England,” said Birkel, the Maine state climatologist and assistant professor with a joint appointment in University of Maine Cooperative Extension and the UMaine Climate Change Institute. “Because it is rare for hurricanes to reach New England and certainly into Maine.” Grist also cited data from the Climate Change Institute’s Climate Reanalyzer in its reporting.