Hurricane Maria: Why are so many cyclones hitting the Caribbean and US?

Here’s what you need to know.

Hurricane Maria from above (NOAA/PA)

By Taylor Heyman

Hurricane Maria has swiftly followed Hurricanes Harvey and Irma in wreaking devastation across the Caribbean. The category five storm is moving across the Caribbean Sea towards St Kitts and Nevis and is due to make landfall in Puerto Rico on Wednesday.

Are so many hurricanes in a short space of time normal, and why is this particular area of the world being battered by tropical cyclones now? Here’s what you need to know.