As we’ve discussed in earlier posts, an El Nino is currently present in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. This means that the surface water temperature there is above normal. One of the consequences of this is that more strong hurricanes form than usual, since the warm water acts as fuel for the storms.
This year, the Pacific Ocean has already had five super typhoons (equivalent to a category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean). In 1997, the last strong El Nino, they had a total of 12 super typhoons in the region, but the 5th did not come until July 22. So this year is about two months ahead of usual, with plenty of season left to go. You can read more about this unusual season at the latest Weather Underground blog here.
