Atlantic Ocean

USA Today reports that hurricane season is behaving in ways without historical precedent, with both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans showing abnormal conditions. The piece argues the familiar seasonal patterns forecasters and coastal residents rely on no longer hold, describing the two ocean basins as historically out of whack and highlighting growing uncertainty around storm predictions.

The Atlantic has yet to produce a hurricane this season, and climate outlet Grist attributes the calm to El Niño. The phenomenon, which is driving record ocean temperatures worldwide, creates wind shear over the Atlantic that suppresses tropical storm development. The piece notes the irony that the same pattern raising global temperatures is also canceling Atlantic tropical activity, at least for now.

Hawaii has experienced its third near-miss from a Pacific hurricane this season, according to reporting in The Atlantic. The storms have tracked close enough to the islands to raise alarms, prompting evacuations and emergency preparations even without direct landfalls. Commenters are linking the pattern to warmer ocean temperatures and are debating whether climate change is increasing hurricane threats to the islands.

Forecasters say El Niño is driving a stark divide in tropical activity this hurricane season. The pattern has strengthened winds over the Atlantic, tearing storms apart and keeping that basin unusually calm, while warm Pacific waters are generating repeated hurricanes. Meteorologists expect the imbalance to persist as long as El Niño conditions hold through the season.

Tropical Storm Gonzalo has lost its tropical characteristics and transitioned into a post-tropical system over the open Atlantic, according to forecasters. The storm no longer poses the organized wind and rain threat typical of tropical cyclones, and its remnants are expected to continue moving across the ocean. Meteorologists are monitoring whether any remains affect shipping routes or distant shores.

Ocean City, Maryland has issued warnings about flooding and high winds, with high tides forcing the closure of several roads. Officials are cautioning residents and visitors about hazardous conditions along the coastal resort town, particularly in areas prone to tidal flooding. Similar coastal flood warnings have been affecting communities along the mid-Atlantic coast during recent high tide cycles.