El Nino conditions moderate 2006 hurricane season: NOAA (November 01, 2006)

Scientists at the NOAA Climate Prediction Center say El Nio conditions – which affect the intensity of hurricanes – have developed in the tropical Pacific and are likely to continue into early 2007.

“The development of weak El Nio conditions helps explain why this Atlantic hurricane season has been less active than was previously expected,” the NOAA announced in a press release. “El Nio typically acts to suppress hurricane activity by increasing the vertical wind shear over the Caribbean Sea region. However, at this time the El Nio impacts on Atlantic hurricanes are small.”

The term El Nio refers to the large-scale ocean-atmosphere climate phenomenon linked to a periodic warming in sea surface temperatures across the central and east-central equatorial Pacific (between approximately the date line and 120 degrees west). It originally referred to an annual warming of sea surface temperatures along the west coast of tropical South America.

Ocean temperatures “increased remarkably” in the equatorial Pacific during the last two weeks, according to the NOAA. “Currently, weak El Nio conditions exist, but there is a potential for this event to strengthen into a moderate event by winter,” Vernon Kousky, NOAA’s lead El Nio forecaster.