Three Category 4 Hurricanes form in Pacific for first time, targeting Hawaii

[Livewire]

For the first time in recorded history, three Category 4 hurricanes have appeared in the Pacific Ocean at the same time, and they're inching ever-closer to the Big Island of Hawaii. The never-before-seen meteorological event involves the hurricanes Kilo, Ignacio, and Jimena, the latter of which has sustained winds of up to 225 km/h.

According to the US Weather Channel, we haven't seen anything close to this event before - three simultaneous Category 3 hurricanes have yet to be recorded. While the most immediate threat is to the coast of Hawaii, Japan, the Philippines, and Taiwan are also currently on watch.

Right now, Ignacio poses the biggest threat to Hawaii; at midnight last Sunday, it was about 450 km to the southeast of the Big Island and is expected to travel north of the Hawaiian islands on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The hurricane, which has contained winds of up to 217 km/h, is unlikely to actually hit the coast, but experts are saying residents should expect heavy rain and winds of up to 63km/h as early as tonight, and a 6-metre swell and rip currents in the water before the storm settles back down later in the week. Needless to say - don't go in the water.

After Ignacio sweeps past the north of Hawaii, it's not yet clear in which direction it will head next.

Hurricane Jimena, on the other hand, is expected to sustain its 'major hurricane' status till at least the midweek, but so far, it poses no threat to any island just yet. But that's only because forecasters aren't really sure where its path will take it at this stage.

Kilo is the least threatening of the three, safely churning up the open waters of the Pacific with its 220 km/h winds.

The event has been linked to a stronger than usual El Niño event, which researchers are saying we should start to get used to, as many more are expected in the future.

"The appearance of the chain of hurricanes may be linked to the strengthening El Niño weather pattern being observed in the Pacific," News.com.au reports. "The Australian Bureau of Meterology says the eastern half of the northern Pacific was now more than one degree warmer than the averages - with patches more than 2 degrees higher."

Source

Is this the new normal, with warmer waters? Granted El Nino is seasonal and not a constant weather force, but this has never been observed before. Add this on to the pile of irregular weather patterns brought on by warmer waters/climate change in general.

 

[gimmepie]

You know what, I was actually just about to make this thread haha!

Anyway, I think goes to prove that the greenhouse affect is already causing rather significant changes to our climate - the kind that are potentially very dangerous for humanity. I mean, what happens if they all hit the same spot?

I know that Australia's weather has been really out of whack, certainly more tropical than it should be and I'm not shocked to see strange things like this happening elsewhere either.

 

[Pinkie-Dawn]

I really hope Hurricane Ignacio doesn't come to California, because there have been a few hurricanes from the East Coast that have crossed through the U.S. before (neither of them reached California though), but this hurricane is from the Pacific Coast.

 

[Klippy]

It'd be interesting to see, from a sociological/anthropological perspective, how Californians handle a hurricane. I've been involved in two semi-hurricane situations. Once while in Mexico and once last year in Hawaii. Hurricane Iselle ended up not doing much where I was at in Maui, but still an interesting experience.

 

[Nah]

apparently Live was experimenting with his powers and things went horribly wrong

We can only really call this the "new normal" if we observe it happening multiple times over a few+ decades really. Though I guess it wouldn't surprise me if it does become a sorta normal occurrence.

But damn, Category 4s tho

 

[Livewire]

yeah my b guys

Think about it this way - the three storms are each stronger than Hurricane Katrina was at time of landfall back in '05, and are rolling around in rapid succession. If this were the atlantic, there would have to be massive evacuations of most of the east coast in the targeted path of the storms. Hawaii is still in the crosshairs, so let's hope the storms miss them.

 

[Sun]

This is scary. *knocks wood* If it really strikes Hawaii, the damage is unthinkable. I hope the government and people are well prepared. Bless them all.