Forecasters say there is a 90 percent chance El Nino — a weather phenomena associated with dry conditions in Hawaii and a higher chance of hurricanes in the eastern and central Pacific — will continue through summer 2015, and an
Forecasters say there is a 90 percent chance El Nino — a weather phenomena associated with dry conditions in Hawaii and a higher chance of hurricanes in the eastern and central Pacific — will continue through summer 2015, and an 80 percent chance of the weather phenomena lasting through the end of the year.
National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center forecasters said weak to moderate El Nino conditions were refelcted by above-average sea surface temperatures in early May. This week, the sea surface temperatures remained “substantially above average,” with temperatures about 2 degrees Fahrenheit above normal in the equatorial Pacific.
El Nino occurs sporadically and can last anywhere from six months to four years. Hurricanes Iwa in 1982 and Iniki in 1992 both occurred during El Nino, and the western Pacific is already seeing a tropical cyclone system with more than three times the normal activity. El Nino did not form last year though Hawaii did see impacts from several tropical storms.
The Central Pacific Hurricane Season runs June 1 to Nov. 30.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
