Hurricane Rita getting stronger and may hit Texas by weekend
(20.09.2005)

Hurricane Rita was upgraded to a category 2 today as the Florida Keys felt the effects with heavy rain and strong winds. Many predict that it will increase in strength as it moves towards land.

As the Hurricane gains strength from the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, it is believed that Rita will move up to a category 3. However, we believe that it will become much stronger than that and could turn out to be one of the worst hurricanes of the season.

At the moment Hurricane Rita appears to be heading for Texas and could make land by this weekend. Unfortunately, it could also affect Louisiana or northern Mexico as well.

Hurricane Rita is the 17th named storm this season, in what has been the 4th busiest season since records began in 1851. The most tropical storms in a season came in 1933, but forecasters have already predicted that this season could equal that. With the storm season ending in November, there is plenty of time for the record to be not only equalled, but beaten.

During the last 35 years, the number of Category 4 or 5 Hurricanes have doubled, which researchers have linked to global warming. However, although there have been twice as many of the most powerful hurricanes in the last 15 years (category 4 and 5), compared to a similar period prior to this, the overall number of hurricanes have decreased during the last 10 years.

Many scientists believe that the global warming is increasing the sea temperatures and this has produced the stronger hurricanes.

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