When hurricane forecasters released their seasonal outlooks in spring 2026, theEl Niñobrewing in the Pacific contributed to predictions of below-normal activity in the Atlantic basinbut above-normal activity in thenortheastern and central Pacific basins.
In early September, near theclimatological peakof hurricane season, those spring outlooks were on target, with the eastern Pacific buzzing with activity and the Atlantic notably quiet.
As of September 3, the Northeast Pacific had produced15 named stormsand six hurricanes, well above the norm for that point in the season.
The Atlantic basin, meanwhile, laboring underunfavorable wind shearconditions, had produced just five named storms and no hurricanes.
El Niño typically enhances hurricane activity in the eastern and central Pacific basins because of the unusually warm water temperatures it brings to those parts of the ocean.
It tends to suppress hurricane activity in the Atlantic basin byshiftinglarge-scale circulation patterns in a way that makes it harder to sustain storms there.
At 1:14 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time on September 1, NASA’sEPIC on theDSCOVR satellite captured an image of threetropical cycloneschurning simultaneously in the Pacific, along with one in the Atlantic.
A band of clouds and thunderstorms associated with the Intertropical Convergence Zone is visible to the south of the storms.
The spacecraft was nearly 1 million miles from Earth and just shy of 93 million miles from the Sun when the image was acquired.
The trio of storms in the Pacific were Lowell, Karina, and Marie.
Of the three, Lowellbecame the strongest, with winds reachingcategory 5strength for several hours on September 2.
Around the same time, Karina, spinning a few thousand kilometers to the east, achieved category 4 strength, arare caseof category 4 and 5 hurricanes occurring simultaneously in the area.
Marie, spinning southwest of Baja California, was still a tropical storm when the image was acquired but was strengthening as it moved northwest.
In the Atlantic, Tropical Storm Edouardwas visible to EPIC over Louisiana and Texas, shortly after the short-lived storm made landfall.
It brought torrential rains and strong winds that downed trees and power lines.
Some areas received15 to 24 inches of rain, according to National Weather Service meteorologists.
As of September 3, the Atlantic basin’s totalaccumulated cyclone energy index was 4.4, about 9 percent of normal for that date, according tostatisticscompiled by Colorado State University meteorologists.
Meanwhile, the Northeast Pacific basin’s ACE was 130, about 50 percent above normal.
The ACE index incorporates both the intensity and longevity of storms, making it easier to compare individual storms and seasons.
SeveralNASA Earth-observing platformsprovide data that can aid in emergency preparedness before landfall and damage assessment and response afterward.
Use the “Events” tab on NASA’sWorldview browserto trackcurrent hurricanesand explore related NASA data products.
NASA Earth Observatory image by Lauren Dauphin, using data fromDSCOVR EPIC. Story by Adam Voiland.
JPEG
AccuWeatherExperts say this metric is a more reliable way to quantify the true strength of hurricane season. Accessed September 3, 2026.
Colorado State UniversityNorthern Hemisphere Tropical Cyclone Activity for 2026. Accessed September 3, 2026.
NASA Earthdata, Hurricanes. Accessed September 3, 2026.
NASA,El Niño. Accessed September 3, 2026.
NASA Space PlaceHow Do Hurricanes Form? Accessed September 3, 2026.
National Hurricane CenterTop News of the Day. Accessed September 3, 2026
NewsweekEl Niño is Reshaping this Year’s Hurricane Season. Accessed September 3, 2026.
NOAAHow does El Niño Impact Atlantic Hurricane Season. Accessed September 3, 2026.
NOAANOAA 2026 Eastern Pacific Hurricane Season Outlook. Accessed September 3, 2026.
Yale Climate ConnectionsEdouard delivers an outsized flash-flood punch to eastern Texas. Accessed September 3, 2026.
Stay up-to-date with the latest content from NASA as we explore the universe and discover more about our home planet.
The powerful storm delivered extreme rainfall and damaging winds to the state, passing the Island of Hawai‘i as a category…
The first named storm of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season brought intense rainfall and the threat of flash flooding to…
Satellite observations of sea surface height indicated that the 2026 event continued to strengthen in early June.
Subscribe to the Earth Observatory and get the Earth in your inbox.
NASA’s Earth Observatory brings you the Earth, every day, with in-depth stories and stunning imagery.
Explore Earth Science
Open access to NASA’s archive of Earth science data