ABSTRACT: A major uncertainty are the causes for interannual variability of the global ocean uptake of CO₂. Existing estimates, based on atmospheric CO₂ data, indicate that peak-to-peak interannual variability in ocean uptake of CO₂ is up to 2-4 Pg C year^-1 (Pg = 1015 g), while those estimates based on ocean observations and models suggest that year-to-year variability is much smaller (~0.4-0.8 Pg C year^-1). Here, it is shown that these differences can be partly reconciled if global air-sea CO₂ flux estimates include the CO₂ flux associated with tropical cyclones (TC), extra-tropical cyclones (ETC), and new air-sea CO₂ gas exchange relationships. The impact of storm events on air-sea CO₂ flux is influenced by climate variability such as the El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), contributing to an interannual peak-to-peak variability in global ocean uptake of CO₂ of up to ~1.8 Pg C year^-1.