Rare Trio of Pacific Hurricanes Fueled by Historic El Niño

Three hurricanes were spinning across the Pacific Ocean at the same time on September 3 — a rare and dangerous event that scientists say was fueled by a historically strong El Niño. Tropical Storm Marie had just grown into a hurricane off the coast of Baja California, joining two already powerful storms: Hurricanes Karina and Lowell, both rated as major Category 4 hurricanes. Scientists say the extra-warm ocean waters created by El Niño gave these storms the energy they needed to grow so strong.

Julia Cole, a climate scientist at the University of Michigan, said seeing three tropical cyclones at once is 'definitely rare.' She explained that El Niño warms the tropical Pacific Ocean, which in turn fuels stronger and more frequent storms. 'When the tropical Pacific is warmer than normal, we see an increase in strong storms,' she said.

Hurricane Lowell was about 725 kilometers south of Hilo, Hawaii, and was expected to stay a major hurricane for several more days as it moved west. The National Hurricane Center warned that large waves from Lowell could create life-threatening surf and dangerous rip currents around the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaii was already dealing with damage from Hurricane Lala, which struck in August and brought destructive winds and flash floods.

Hurricane Karina weakened slightly as it moved northwest but was still expected to stay a hurricane for a couple more days. Behind both storms, Tropical Storm Marie was about 600 kilometers southwest of Baja California, sending large waves toward the coasts of Mexico and Baja California. Those swells were expected to spread northward to southern California by the weekend.

Benjamin Kirtman, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Miami, explained why El Niño creates such ideal conditions for hurricanes. Warm water acts like fuel for storms, and El Niño also reduces wind shear — the change in wind speed and direction at different heights — over the Pacific. Less wind shear allows storms to grow taller and stronger instead of being torn apart. 'The climate system has significantly warmed over the last 20 years or so,' Kirtman told AFP, adding that ocean temperatures are already near record highs.

A similar event happened in 2015, another strong El Niño year, when four tropical cyclones crossed the Pacific at the same time. That lineup included Typhoon Kilo, Hurricane Ignacio, Hurricane Jimena, and Tropical Depression 14E. This year's El Niño is even more powerful, with a 69 percent chance of becoming the strongest ever recorded.

El Niño is not just affecting the Pacific — it is causing extreme weather around the world. In Peru, which catches more anchovies than any other country, warming seas have hurt fish populations and damaged the fishing industry. In Sudan, delayed rains linked to El Niño have caused water levels in the Nile River to drop sharply.

El Niño is part of a natural cycle in the tropical Pacific Ocean that happens every two to seven years. It begins when trade winds that normally blow east to west slow down, letting warm water slide back east and rise to the surface. When those warm temperatures stick around for months, they change weather patterns all over the world — making some places hotter and drier, and others cooler and wetter.

Climate change is making El Niño's effects even worse. A warmer atmosphere holds more water, which means storms can dump more rain. At the same time, warming dries out the soil in drought-prone areas, making droughts deeper and more damaging. Scientists warn that as the planet keeps warming, the impacts of El Niño will likely become more extreme.