Parts of California could face a higher risk of hurricane-related impacts in 2026, as forecasters warn that warm Pacific waters could increase the chances of rare but potentially dangerous tropical systems affecting the state.
The Eastern Pacific hurricane season begins on May 15 and runs through November 30. For the incoming hurricane season, which at times could affect California and other Southwestern states, AccuWeather is predicting 17 to 22 named storms, nine to 13 of which could strengthen into hurricanes. Of those, four to eight could strengthen even further into major hurricanes.
While hurricanes rarely make direct landfall in California, the new report from AccuWeather underscores growing concern among meteorologists that changing ocean conditions, largely influenced by the increasing chances of an El Niño year, could increase the likelihood of moisture-rich tropical storms or weakened hurricanes moving into the Southwestern U.S., bringing heavy rain, flooding, and dangerous surf to coastal and inland areas.
How El Niño Impacts Hurricane Season
El Niño is a climate pattern marked by warmer-than-average ocean temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific. It can play a major role in shaping hurricane seasons in both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans…