It seems scientists have finally found a good side to the very controversial and much discussed problem of global warming.

A study by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration contradicts prior research which blamed the warming phenomenon for the large number of hurricanes. The new study says that warmer temperatures will actually reduce the number of hurricanes in the Atlantic.

The study simulated Atlantic hurricane activity during warming conditions in the 21^st century, finding 27 percent fewer tropical storms and 18 percent fewer hurricanes.

"This does not support the idea that we've already seen a large positive trend in hurricane activity emerging from greenhouse gases," said lead author Tom Knutson, a research meteorologist. "In fact, it points in the other direction."

For a long time, hurricanes were the symbol of global warming, but that is about to change now. Knutson’s study will probably initiate a debate on the subject among meteorologists. Many climate change experts have linked the increase in the number of hurricanes in the past years to global warming and the hotter waters that fuel the hurricanes.

The bad news is, according to Knutson’s study, that even though hurricanes will occur less often, there are big chances for them to be wetter and stronger.

The study was published online Sunday in the journal Nature Geoscience.