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Powerful El Niño Fuels Extreme Weather Across US, Globally
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Moneycontrol•27-09-2026, 14:09
Powerful El Niño Fuels Extreme Weather Across US, Globally
- •A powerful El Niño is causing diverse extreme weather across the US, including a nor'easter on the East Coast and Hurricane Nolo threatening Hawaii.
- •This year's El Niño is exceptionally strong, potentially the strongest on record, leading to an unusual frequency of hurricanes near Hawaii by warming Pacific waters and altering atmospheric conditions.
- •El Niño influences East Coast weather by shifting the Pacific jet stream south, providing energy and moisture for nor'easters, which may become more frequent.
- •Beyond the US, El Niño is linked to drought and wildfires in Indonesia, crop damage in India and Africa, and increased flood risk in California due to higher sea levels and heavy rainfall.
- •Scientists are studying if climate change intensifies El Niño's effects, noting that a warmer world can make associated weather extremes like heavy rainfall, drought, and wildfires more damaging.
Key Questions Answered
El Niño warms the central and eastern Pacific, providing extra energy that helps hurricanes become stronger and survive longer. Hawaii's geography further intensifies this threat because moisture-laden air from hurricanes is pushed upward by mountains, cooling and producing heavy rainfall that sharply increases the risk of flooding.
During El Niño years, the Pacific jet stream shifts farther south, providing the essential moisture and energy needed for storms to develop off the southeastern United States before moving northward as nor'easters.
El Niño generally suppresses hurricane activity in the Atlantic because stronger upper-level winds make it much harder for tropical storms to develop and organize into hurricanes.
