What You Need to Know About Hurricane Isaias
It’s been a relatively quiet hurricane season along the Atlantic. Hurricane Isaias now holds the record as the latest forming first hurricane in the Atlantic Basin—breaking the previous record set in 1905 by Hurricane Four by a mere three and a half hours, according to Accuweather. Isaias is the ninth named storm of the Atlantic season—and the first to reach hurricane strength.
The lull is attributable to El Niño. The phenomenon increases vertical wind shear across the Atlantic, making it harder for thunderstorms to turn into hurricanes. It also temporarily warms up the Pacific Ocean—which often leads to more hurricane activity on a coast that doesn’t typically see a lot of hurricanes.
There have been a number of hurricanes in the Pacific this year. By Sept. 28, the number of named storms in the region was at 20, with nine reaching hurricane strength.
Will El Niño intensify the storm?
El Niño is not likely to intensify the storm. In fact, it often has the opposite effect, weakening hurricane activity along the Atlantic.
