Driven by a "Super" El Niño event, the 2026 tropical cyclone season exhibits stark basin disparities, suppressing the Atlantic while hyper-charging the Eastern Pacific. El Niño shifts the atmospheric circulation, generating strong upper-level westerly wind shear that tilts and dismantles tropical disturbances across the Atlantic. Conversely, the Pacific features low vertical wind shear, favourable upper-level outflow, and record-high ocean heat content. Under background global warming, oceans absorb over 90% of excess planetary heat, which, along with sea-ice albedo loss and reduced sulphur aerosols, raises sea surface temperatures. Consequently, climate change increases peak storm intensities, fuels more frequent rapid intensification. El Niño is set this year to exceed records and affect atmospheric conditions globally with droughts in some parts and excessive rain in others. More important to the mariner are the effects on ocean storms.

Barry discusses these effects, reminds us how Hurricanes form and explains why the Atlantic and Pacific Storm Seasons this year are so dramatically different.

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