This year’s El Niño event is predicted to be a record-setter, already stronger than the El Niño that occurred from 1997-1998, which has so far been the strongest in recorded history, said AP.
The intensity of this year came from the incredible warmth in the Pacific the past three months. The National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center forecasters said that El Niño will most likely peak in late fall or early winter, said Honolulu Star Advertiser.
El Niño usually occurs when the temperature in the ocean rises on the surface and affects the atmosphere, creating winds, rain, storms, and hurricanes, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
This year there have already been five named storms in the Central Pacific, including Hilda. It usually occurs in the winter, and can last for six months to four years, reported KITV4.
Following El Niño, weather will also be drier than normal in winter that will worsen drought, reported The Honolulu Star Advertiser. Despite the research and reports, things can easily change during the El Niño season, so be prepared.
“It’s kind of impossible to predict. We can predict pretty well,” said Bradley Craft, a senior from Oregon studying biology. “But you’ll always have to expect the unexpected.”
El Niño can be good for surfers in Hawaii, bringing more and bigger waves to Oahu’s shores, according to KITV4. The Honolulu Star Advertiser also reported, however, bigger waves also cause more erosion on the shore.
The rising temperature in the ocean is not good news for the coral and reef surrounding Hawaii, as coral bleaching becomes even more of an issue, according to the Advertiser. As the temperature rises, it stresses the coral and causes it to lose its algae, therefore its color. It turns the coral white, which means it is dying, reported The Honolulu Star Advertiser.
The warmer water could also confuse some animals or harm them. “Animals tend to thrive in certain temperatures that they are comfortable in,” said Ashlin Cooper, a sophomore studying marine biology from Nevada. “El Niño changes the temperature of the water and that causes the animals to become uncomfortable, so they will either leave or die which totally affects the system. Certain fish or certain predators can migrate to certain places.”
El Niño can bring rain to the Southwestern United States. This may be good news for California and their current drought, but may cause flooding in Hawaii, reported AP.