With the development of Vicente and Willa, the eastern Pacific hurricane season of 2018 has entered the record books as busiest ever following a very busy season last year.
Like we’ve seen all too often this year, newly formed Willa has rapidly intensified off Mexico, gaining 60 mph and gaining ‘major’ status within 24 hours.
Whoa #Willa in the eastern Pacific is exploding- up 60 mph in 24 hours. People in SW Mexico, especially Sinaloa, really need to pay attention to this one! pic.twitter.com/uiPqqd5dDP
— Eric Blake ? (@EricBlake12) October 21, 2018
Interestingly waters have dipped slightly below normal up Mexico’s Pacific coast.
Credit: Tropical Tidbits
Cooler than normal is still plenty warm however!
Credit: Tropical Tidbits
The east Pacific was boiling back at the beginning of August.
Credit: Tropical Tidbits
There should be no surprise that 2017 and 2018 have been back to back hyper active years for this basin. The ‘one after another’ hurricane activity of the past two years has been nature’s way of capping the heat of the east Pacific. A favourable MJO and large scale wind pattern likely enhanced by a weak westward propagating El Nino all contributed.
- There have already been a dozen hurricanes in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.
- Nine of those have been Category 3 or stronger.
- Some of these have been long-lasting, long-track hurricanes.
- Warmer water and atmospheric conditions similar to El Niño have contributed.
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