Washington (United States) (AFP) – An unusual trio of hurricanes crosses the Pacific Ocean this Thursday, whose waters have been warmed by an El Niño episode of historic intensity.
First modification: 09/03/2026 - 10:21
Tropical Storm Marie strengthened and reached hurricane status late Wednesday off the coast of Baja California. This joins Hurricanes Karina and Lowell, both Category 4, which are moving westward in the Pacific.
Having three hurricanes active at the same time is something "definitely rare to observe," Julia Cole, a climatologist at the University of Michigan, told AFP.
"The warming caused by El Niño creates the conditions for these storms, which are largely driven by warm waters," Cole explained.
Hurricane Lowell was about 710 kilometers south of Hilo, Hawaii, reported the United States National Hurricane Center (NHC).
"Surges generated by Lowell are spreading northward and will affect some parts of the Hawaiian Islands in the coming days," the NHC stated, which could cause dangerous conditions near the coasts.
In 2015, when there was another particularly strong El Niño, a succession of four cyclones occurred.
This year's phenomenon has a 69% chance of becoming the most intense ever recorded, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
El Niño occurs every two to seven years when the trade winds, east-west currents that normally hold warm waters in the western Pacific, temporarily weaken. This causes these waters to rise to the surface and move eastward.
When temperatures remain above normal for several months, more storms are generated in the region, which has an impact on the planet's entire atmosphere.
As a result, the climate becomes hotter and drier in some places, and wetter in others.
Scientists agree that climate change amplifies its effects. However, there is no consensus on whether it strengthens El Niño itself, although evidence to that effect has emerged.
© 2026 AFP
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