Why Are Three Hurricanes Spinning Across the Pacific at Once? NASA Explains the El Niño Connection

Three tropical cyclones are churning across the Pacific simultaneously, creating an unusually crowded stretch of storm activity. Hurricanes Lowell, Karina and Marie formed in late August and early September, with all three visible in a NASA satellite image captured on September 2, 2026.

The unusual scene is closely linked to El Niño, which has warmed parts of the eastern tropical Pacific and created conditions that can support more hurricane development in the region. NASA said the last time three hurricanes were simultaneously active in the Eastern or Central Pacific was 2015, another El Niño year.

Why did three hurricanes form together?

The key factor is the unusually warm ocean.

Hurricanes need warm water to provide energy, and El Niño can shift ocean temperatures and large-scale atmospheric patterns in a way that favors tropical cyclone development in the eastern and central Pacific.

NASA explained that “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.”

At the same time, El Niño tends to have the opposite effect in the Atlantic. NASA said the climate pattern can suppress Atlantic hurricane activity by changing large-scale circulation and making conditions less favorable for storms to strengthen.

That helps explain why the Pacific and Atlantic can experience very different hurricane seasons at the same time.

What NASA’s satellite saw on September 2

NASA’s NOAA-21 satellite captured the three storms from space using the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite, or VIIRS.

In the image, Lowell, Karina, and Marie appeared as dark purple storm systems spread across the Pacific.

Lowell and Karina were already powerful systems, while Marie was still developing when the satellite image was taken.

The storms did not remain at the same strength. According to the September 4 report from Surfer, Lowell briefly reached Category 5 strength on September 2, while Karina reached Category 4 around the same period. Marie, which was still a tropical storm when NASA’s image was acquired, continued strengthening as it moved northwest.

The three systems were also moving generally west to northwest, away from the Mexican coast. Karina and Marie were heading toward the general direction of Hawaii, while Lowell was positioned farther south of the islands.

Why is this unusual?

Having three hurricanes active across the Pacific at once is not an everyday occurrence.

NASA’s comparison image shows that the same type of three-hurricane lineup occurred in September 2015, when Hurricanes Kilo, Ignacio, and Jimena were simultaneously spinning across the Pacific during another El Niño event.

The 2026 storm activity is also notable because the Northeast Pacific had already produced 15 named storms and six hurricanes by September 4, according to the information supplied by Surfer. That was described as well above the normal level for that point in the season.

The contrast with the Atlantic was striking. The Atlantic had produced five named storms and no hurricanes by that point, with unfavorable wind shear making it harder for storms to develop.

The bigger clue may be the ocean

The three-storm scene is more than a dramatic satellite view. It shows how changes in ocean temperatures and atmospheric circulation can reshape where hurricanes are most likely to form.

But El Niño does not mean every storm will become a major hurricane. Individual storms still depend on factors such as atmospheric conditions, wind patterns, and how long they remain over favorable waters.

NASA’s September 2 image, therefore, provides a snapshot of a much larger climate-driven pattern: warm Pacific waters associated with El Niño are helping create an environment where multiple tropical cyclones can develop in the same region at the same time.

For the latest storm positions and forecasts, NASA directs readers to the National Hurricane Center and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center.