What is El Niño?

El Niño is a climate phenomenon characterized by the periodic warming of sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. El Niño events typically occur every two to seven years and can last several months. They have wide-reaching impacts on global weather patterns, including significant effects on hurricane activity.

How Does El Niño Affect Hurricanes?

In the Atlantic Ocean, El Niño events usually suppress hurricane activity. The warming in the Pacific triggers atmospheric changes, including increased wind shear across the tropical Atlantic which can disrupt the formation of hurricanes or weaken existing ones. As a result, the Atlantic hurricane season tends to be quieter during El Niño years.
Conversely, in the Eastern Pacific, El Niño tends to enhance hurricane activity. Warmer SSTs provide more fuel for storms, and the decrease in wind shear in this region promotes the formation and intensification of hurricanes. Thus, the Eastern Pacific typically experiences more and stronger hurricanes during an El Niño event.