A strong El Niño actually means fewer Atlantic hurricanes, but the Pacific has been extra stormy

The Atlantic Ocean has had an unusually quiet hurricane season this year. Though there have been six named storms, zero have actually strengthened into hurricanes—a rarity that hasn’t occurred in decades. On the other side of the country, though, Hurricane Polo has rapidly intensified, becoming one of the most intense East Pacific hurricanes on record. These weather anomalies may seem at odds, but they’re both impacted by the “Godzilla” Super El Niño that experts say is shaping up to be one of the strongest in history. El Niño affects weather patterns around the world, and can amplify extreme weather events. And even though El Niño may reduce the number of hurricanes in the Atlantic, that doesn’t always mean the season is less destructive than other years. It’s late September—where are all the Atlantic hurricanes? The Atlantic hurricane season spans from June 1 to November 30, though the season tends to peak around September 10, making it unusual, AccuWeather notes, “not to have a hurricane spinning on that date.” On average, a season sees 14 named storms in the Atlantic, with seven that become hurricanes and three that strengthen into major hurricanes. By September 24 this year, …