Three tropical cyclones spinning across the Pacific at the same time.
Cick into post for video and full story!
Radar imagery of an extraordinary scene this week as Lowell, Karina and Marie occupied the Pacific simultaneously. For weather watchers, seeing three systems developing together is a rare and fascinating sight.
But there’s a bigger story behind the spinning clouds.
The Pacific is being energized by an exceptionally strong El Niño, which has pushed unusually warm water across portions of the ocean. Warm ocean water provides tropical systems with the energy they need to develop and intensify.
NASA says this year’s El Niño is contributing to above-normal hurricane activity in the eastern and central Pacific, while the Atlantic has remained unusually quiet.
At one point, Lowell reached Category 5 intensity while Karina reached Category 4, creating an especially remarkable period of Pacific activity.
Three storms appearing together on a satellite image may look almost surreal — but they’re a reminder of just how powerful the relationship between ocean temperatures and the atmosphere can be.
The Pacific is warm. El Niño is strong. And the atmosphere is responding.
Keywords
Pacific hurricanes, three Pacific storms, Hurricane Lowell, Hurricane Karina, Hurricane Marie, El Niño 2026, Pacific hurricane season, tropical cyclones, satellite imagery, NASA satellite, warm Pacific Ocean, extreme weather, hurricane activity, meteorology, Hawaii weather