Irma and Harvey: Very different storms, but both affected by climate change

Lots of factors can affect how strong these storms ultimately become, including how much time they spend gathering strength over ocean, and background weather patterns through which they travel

File photo. A man walks on Havana's sea wall after the passing of Hurricane Irma in Havana, Cuba

There has been no let up since Hurricane Harvey dumped record-breaking rains on the Houston area of Texas. Hurricane Irma lashed parts of the Caribbean and Cuba and is now heading onto the US mainland, having devastated the Florida Keys and the state’s west coast.

We also have Hurricane Jose following Irma through the Caribbean, and Hurricane Katia, now downgraded after tracking through parts of eastern