NPR: ‘Why Hurricane Patricia Can’t Be Blamed On Climate Change’
Mike Halpert of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Hugh Willoughby, a hurricane expert at Florida International University agree. Even if climate change is playing some unknown role, it would be adding only a small percentage to the chances of a storm like Patricia forming. A single record-breaking event, even within in a record El Niño year, cannot be linked to climate change.