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 Ni¿o/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.