The Effects of El Niño on Global Weather and the Hurricane Season

The El Niño phenomenon continues to significantly impact weather conditions and the hurricane season worldwide. While it lays the groundwork for storms to strengthen in the eastern Pacific, causing the season to exceed normal averages, it causes an unusual stagnation in the Atlantic Ocean due to the effects of low pressure and wind shear.

In the eastern Pacific region, El Niño facilitates the strengthening of storms thanks to high sea surface temperatures and weak winds in the atmosphere. With two months remaining until the end of the season, 22 named storms, 12 hurricanes, and 10 major hurricanes have been recorded in the region; this figure has exceeded the average seen in a typical full season. Hurricane Polo reached wind speeds of 180 mph (285 km/h) due to the effect of warm waters in the region. In September, three simultaneous hurricanes—Lowell, Karina, and Marie—were observed at the same time.

In contrast, in the Atlantic Ocean, El Niño's tendency to increase northern wind shear limited the formation of storms. Hurricane Isaias, which reached the Florida Panhandle and Alabama, became the latest-forming hurricane recorded since satellites began to be used in the 1960s. While 10 named storms, 5 hurricanes, and 2 major hurricanes are expected by this period in a normal season, only eight tropical storms were recorded this year.