But they add this doesn't necessarily mean global warming will lead to more of these extreme weather events in the future.

Another, called vertical wind shear, is the angle of prevailing winds. These dictate whether the infant storm will develop into the wheeling shape of a cyclone or instead be torn to be pieces.

Saunders and Lea's research is the first to calculate the precise contribution of sea temperatures in driving cyclone frequency.

Dr Mark Saunders and Dr Adam Lea of the Benfield UCL Hazard Research Centre at University College London report their findings today in the journal Nature.

Cyclones are known to have several causes. One of them is the raw fuel of heat and moisture, provided by seas warmed to at least 27°C.

for the 10 years from 1996 to 2005, the tally rose to about eight cyclones per year, about four of which were intense ones.