 It's the earliest in the year a hurricane's ever reached that size in the Atlantic Ocean. The storm's being fueled by record warm ocean water, and those record temperatures are being driven by climate change. Burning fossil fuels releases gases like carbon dioxide, which trap heat and make the air and oceans warmer. Barrel's expected to remain near major hurricane strength as it passes Jamaica Wednesday and the Cayman Islands Thursday. Michael Copley, NPR News. This is NPR.