LOS ANGELES (KABC) — We’re seeing a major shift this year when it comes to tropical weather. The Pacific Ocean is churning with hurricanes, while the Atlantic has been relatively quiet.
The Pacific has had over 20 named storms, plus nine hurricanes, this year, while the Atlantic has had seven named storms and zero hurricanes so far. So why is that? ABC7 Chief Meteorologist Dallas Raines explains.
“It is a very powerful El Niño, meaning, we have a lot of really warm water down in the equatorial Pacific. That releases energy into the atmosphere and due to the fact that the earth is rotating, called the Coriolis force, the winds start driving toward the east. This is called wind shear. So when tropical storms try to form, we have these strong winds blowing in at about 20,000 feet and that is called wind shear, and guess what my friends, that cuts hurricanes in halves. So this year, it’s all about the Pacific.”
Meanwhile, developing overnight, Tropical Storm Isaias formed off eastern Mexico. Forecasters say it is expected to strengthen into the first hurricane of the Atlantic season before hitting the U.S. Gulf Coast later in the week.
Isaias is on track to make landfall Friday as a category 1 or 2 hurricane somewhere between New Orleans and Pensacola.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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