End is nigher than ever

The number of tropical cyclones in categories 4 and 5 (the highest two categories) has steadily increased over the last thirty years, the number per five year period doubling in that time. The number of storms and their duration also increased, but I personally didn't find these data as convincing. Whether this is linked to increasing global temperatures is a matter of speculation, and it may be part of a longer term oscillation. In any event, it looks the like the End Is Nigh placard business is set for some solid growth.

Webster, P.J., et al. Science. 309, 1844. (2005)