As El Niño supercharges Pacific storms, Hawaii braces for another hurricane, tell me about this news in (https://www.nbcnews.com/science/environment/hawaii-hurricane-nolo-el-nino-pacific-storms-atlantic-quiet-rcna599700)
26-09-2026
The reporting covers a dramatic split in global hurricane activity driven by an exceptionally powerful El Niño pattern:
1. High Storm Activity in the Pacific and Threat to HawaiiPacific Supercharged: Warmer equatorial Pacific sea surface temperatures combined with reduced vertical wind shear create optimal conditions for tropical cyclogenesis. The Central and Eastern Pacific basins have experienced elevated activity, yielding numerous named systems and powerful hurricanes.
Threat to Hawaii (Tropical Storm / Hurricane Nolo): Hawaii has faced recurring storm threats this season. Forecasters have tracked tropical systemsnotably Tropical Storm Nologathering strength in the Pacific and approaching the Hawaiian Islands, bringing hazards such as dangerous surf, damaging winds, and potentially extreme rainfall exceeding 30 inches in parts of the Big Island.
Wind Shear and Atmospheric Stability: The same atmospheric teleconnections that intensify Pacific storms suppress Atlantic activity. El Niño enhances upper-level westerly winds across the Caribbean and tropical Atlantic, generating strong vertical wind shear that tears developing storms apart before they can organize.
Suppressed Formation: In addition to wind shear, increased atmospheric stability and dry Saharan dust have led to a historically slow Atlantic season, passing the climatological peak in September without producing typical hurricane counts.
Meteorologists and climate scientists note that the ongoing “Super El Niño” is compounding with broader ocean warming trends. This elevated baseline provides extra moisture and thermal energy to storms that successfully form in favorable environments like the Pacific, increasing the risk of rapid intensification and extreme precipitation events.