Never argue with a meteorologist on live television, the results can be unpredictable and embarrassing for misinformed cable news hosts.
While speaking with CNN’s Don Lemon, the acting director of the NOAA Hurricane Center fielded several questions about whether Hurricane Ian’s intensity could be linked to climate change.
Lemon, a Florida native, insisted several times that the storms are intensifying and it must have something to do with climate change. Undeterred, the NOAA Hurricane Chief slaps him down a few times in this humorous exchange between a scientist and a partisan CNN host:
Are you sure, Jamie? Lemon insists. He grew up there, after all, and “something” is causing these storms to intensify. Did climate change cause this storm, please tell me it did so I can reinforce my narrative!
It’s also worth noting that CNN misspelled Jamie Rhome’s last name on the screen to “Rohme” for some reason. This part of the exchange is pretty hilarious:
DON LEMON: So listen, I just, I’m just trying to get the, you said you want to talk about climate change. But what effect does climate change to have on this phenomenon that is happening now? Because it seems these storms are intensifying. That’s the question.
JAMIE RHOME: I don’t think you can link climate change to any one event. On the whole, on the cumulative, climate change may be making storms worse, but to link it to any one event, I would caution against that.
DON LEMON: Okay, well, listen, I grew up there and these storms are intensifying. Something is causing them to intensify.
By the end, he’s basically arguing with Rhome that it must be climate change affecting this storm and every other storm that happened since Lemon’s childhood. “Okay, well listen” takes a rather disrespectful tone toward this NOAA scientist you have on your program to present facts and information, not speculation about warming sea temperatures or whatever political spin Lemon would like to inject.
Hurricane frequency has been down as of late leading to a slow start to the 2022 season. Actually, it’s the quietest start in 30 years:
The 2022 Atlantic hurricane season is off to its quietest start in 30 years, but history suggests it won’t end up that way.
After a pair of western Gulf tropical disturbances failed to develop the past two weekends, we remain stuck on three named storms so far this season: Alex, Bonnie and Colin.
While the number of storms isn’t pacing far below the season-to-date average, Colorado State University tropical scientist Phil Klotzbach pointed out it was the first time in 40 years that no named storms formed from July 3 – August 22 in the Atlantic Basin.
Another metric meteorologists use to gauge a season’s activity has also flatlined.
Nobody is complaining that there have been fewer hurricanes this year except maybe Don Lemon. According to the data, “something” must be causing fewer storms, right? That’s a phenomenon and question I suspect Lemon doesn’t want to explore with the same ferocity and intensity he provides to an inquisition on climate change and hurricanes.
