Strong El Niño Drives Record Pacific Storms While Atlantic Stays Quiet

The Pacific Ocean has recorded 18 hurricanes and 41 named storms this year, while the Atlantic Ocean has not seen a single full-blown hurricane as of September 25. Princeton University geosciences professor Gabriel Vecchi calls it a tale of two basins due to an exceptionally strong El Niño climate pattern. This pattern happens when water temperatures increase near the equator in the Pacific, providing fuel for bigger and more powerful storms. In the North Atlantic, the same pattern increases wind shear and makes it hard for hurricanes to form by tearing them apart. This is the first time in over 100 years that no full-blown hurricanes have formed in the Atlantic by this date, with only seven less-intense tropical storms recorded there. Hawaii is facing heavy rainfall and potential flooding from Hurricane Nolo, which is the third hurricane to threaten the islands this year following Hurricane Lala in August and Hurricane Lowell in early September. University of Miami senior research associate Brian McNoldy states that the event has exceeded expectations and is heading toward becoming the strongest El Niño on record. Pacific water temperatures are already hitting record highs even before the phenomenon reaches its peak later this year. Warmer waters are also causing rapid intensification, such as Hurricane Polo off Mexico's Pacific coast growing from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane in less than 24 hours. Paul Roundy, a professor of atmospheric science at the University at Albany, notes that future impacts could include more storms hitting Hawaii, droughts and fires in Central America, and a wetter winter that may increase flood risks in parts of the Southwestern U.S. These impacts combine with background warming driven by human-caused climate change, which scientists say is increasing the likelihood of extreme weather worldwide.