The science behind the perfect storm

Storm Hilary became the first tropical storm to hit California in 84 years on August 20th. After being downgraded from a Category 4 hurricane, Hilary could still bring “life-threatening” amounts of rain, according to America’s National Weather Service, and has left nearly 26m people under flood watch. As global warming transforms the planet’s oceans, Oliver Morton, senior editor at The Economist, explores how hurricanes are affected by rising temperatures and what this means for the coastal communities in their path.