Why conditions are just right for a strong Atlantic hurricane season
For the past few days, our Stormtrack Insiders at 6 have focused on the potential for a strong Atlantic hurricane season. Like we’ve discussed in the Insiders from earlier this week, the Atlantic and Pacific hurricane seasons go hand in hand together. What we’ll see in each ocean comes down to what season we’re in; El Niño or La Niña.
El Nino seasons are defined by warmer waters and lighter easterly winds. In the Pacific Ocean, these warmer waters are trailed by excessive rainfall that can lead to flooding and drought conditions in different parts of the world. When the Pacific Ocean is in an El Nino season, the Atlantic Ocean typically is calmer and vice versa.
La Nina, on the other hand, brings cooler waters to the Pacific Ocean, weakening storm potential. In La Nina years, we often see a stronger hurricane season in the Atlantic.
This year, we’re not quite into El Nino yet. We’re in a transition year where La Nina is weakening and El Nino is not dominating either. Even though La Nina is weakening, it’s still strong enough to bring concerns of intense hurricanes in the Atlantic. Reporting for the Stormtrack Insider, I’m forecaster Maddie Est.
