3 Pacific Cyclones, A Hurricane off Africa: What's Going On?
Jane . Lee, National Geogrpahic
The weather seems to be going haywire, with three simultaneous category
(SCROLL DONW
Hurricanes Kilo, Ignacio, and Jimena continue to charge across the Pacific Ocean this week. None are expected to make landfall.
Photograph by NASA Goddard MODIS Rapid Response, Jeff Schmaltz
Three cyclones—Kilo, Ignacio, and Jimena—are currently tearing it up in the central Pacific. On Sunday, all of them were a category 4. This is the first time the northeastern Pacific has seen three such hurricanes simultaneously.
A fourth storm, tropical depression fourteen-e, is currently churning away southwest of the Baja California peninsula. Forecasters expect it to strengthen to a tropical storm soon. They plan to name it Kevin at that point.
So why has the weather in the Pacific seemingly gone nuts? Two words: El Niño.
This atmospheric phenomenon occurs every five to seven years and brings soaking rains to the western U.S., droughts to Asia and Australia, and dampens the Atlantic hurricane season. (Read about El Niño's widespread effe
It also supercharges the central and eastern Pacific ocean with above average water temperatures. Cyclones feed on warm water, so the Pacific's hurricane season has been especially active this year.
In fact, it's the second most active season for the central Pacific on record. The record-holder was 1994 during another strong El Niño.
Spawn
While the current rash of storms is notable for its severity, it’s not entirely unprecedented. Australia saw double cyclones this February, and Hawaii dodged a double hurricane in September of last year. (Read about other places that have see
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/08/150901-multiple-hurricanes-cyclones-pacific-fred-atmosphere-oceans-science/