Forecasters' spring 2026 predictions proved accurate by early September as El Niño conditions fueled above-normal hurricane activity in the northeastern and central Pacific basins while suppressing it in the Atlantic. As of September 3, the Northeast Pacific had produced 15 named storms and six hurricanes, well above the norm for that point in the season. The Atlantic basin, laboring under unfavorable wind shear conditions, had produced just five named storms and no hurricanes.
The warm water temperatures associated with El Niño typically enhance hurricane activity in the eastern and central Pacific basins, while shifting large-scale circulation patterns that make it harder to sustain storms in the Atlantic. At 1:14 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time on September 1, NASA's EPIC instrument on the DSCOVR satellite captured an image showing three tropical cyclones churning simultaneously in the Pacific.
The trio consisted of Hurricanes Lowell, Karina, and Tropical Storm Marie. Lowell became the strongest of the three, with winds reaching category 5 strength for several hours on September 2. Around the same time, Karina, spinning several thousand kilometers to the east, achieved category 4 strength, marking a rare occurrence of category 4 and 5 hurricanes developing simultaneously in the region. Marie, located southwest of Baja California, was still a tropical storm when the image was acquired but was strengthening as it moved northwest.
In the Atlantic, Tropical Storm Edouard was visible in the EPIC image over Louisiana and Texas shortly after making landfall. The short-lived storm brought torrential rains and strong winds that downed trees and power lines, according to the National Weather Service. Some areas received 15 to 24 inches of rain, meteorologists said.
As of September 3, the Atlantic basin's total accumulated cyclone energy index was 4.4, about 9 percent of normal for that date, according to Colorado State University meteorologists. The Northeast Pacific basin's accumulated cyclone energy was 130, about 50 percent above normal. The index incorporates both the intensity and longevity of storms.
