New Delhi, April 11 -- Marine heat waves are supercharging damage caused by hurricanes and tropical cyclones across the globe, a new study found.

Researchers looked at 1,600 tropical cyclones - the broader category of storms that includes hurricanes - that made landfall since 1981 and found those that went over the extra-hot water were more likely to intensify rapidly, a problem that's becoming more frequent. This resulted in 60% more disasters that caused at least $1 billion in damage - adjusted for inflation - when they hit land, according to a study in Friday's journal Science Advances.

A better understanding of how marine heat waves amplify hurricanes could help forecasters, emergency officials and long-term planners prepare for fut...