Ocean waves around the world are getting bigger, driven by intensifying extreme winds. Sooner or later, all residents of coastal areas will feel such global changes. But let us examine the research that has been carried out in more detail. A start in 1985. The increase in waves became known thanks to a recently published study based on satellite monitoring data of changes in the world's oceans over 33 years. The researchers, a pair of scientists from the University of Melbourne in Australia, created the largest database in history of wind and waves between 1985 and 2018. According to the results obtained, ocean waves have grown larger, and winds have become stronger and more aggressive. At the maximum. The most dramatic changes were associated with the fastest winds and the highest waves, which usually appear during natural disasters. The strongest 10% of winds accelerated by one and a half metres per second, and the highest 10% of waves grew by 30 cm in height over 33 years. This means an 8% increase in the speed of extreme winds and a 5% increase in the height of extreme waves. The results, with scientific evidence, were published in the journal Science. And what do the scientists say. «Although an increase of 5% and 8% may not seem all that large, if it continues into the future, such changes in our climate will have serious consequences», said one of the study's authors, Ian Young, in a statement. Most importantly, according to the scientists, more intense waves mean an increased risk of flooding in coastal communities and faster erosion of coastal lands. The changes could also increase the rate at which low-lying areas are submerged, accelerating the effects of rising sea levels. In other words, when extreme conditions like Hurricanes Sandy and Katrina or Cyclone Fani occur, the destruction from the ocean and the winds will be many times greater. The death toll among citizens who fail to evacuate in time will rise, and material damage will exceed sums of several million dollars. Confidence is growing. The data obtained from 31 satellites seemed insufficient to the researchers, so, in order to confirm the weather-change trends for certain, the team increased the number of sources. The researchers compared the information obtained with ten years of data from 80 ocean buoys around the world. The two sets of data turned out to be completely identical. And that means the scientists' assumptions were fully confirmed. Bad luck for all. Although the changes have affected the entire globe, in certain areas extreme winds and waves are gaining strength much faster than in other parts of the planet. The researchers stressed that the impact of growing waves in the Southern regions of the Earth has already been felt by people to the fullest extent. The Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans are becoming more dangerous every year. Nevertheless, no one has cancelled the changes in the Northern Hemisphere; people will simply encounter them a little later. «These changes have an impact that is felt all over the world», Young said. The research is not finished. The authors noted that the study is not over. It is only a small part of a detailed study of global climate models. This work should also help researchers understand the interaction of the atmosphere and water, which depends in part on the roughness of the waters.