@bennollweather.bsky.social

@bennollweather.bsky.social

Meteorologist writing for @washingtonpost.com ☀️

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A hurricane near Mexico cemented 2026’s place in the record books as the busiest year on record for storm activity in these ocean regions. That’s based on a measure of the cumulative duration of strong winds, surpassing the record set in 2018.

washingtonpost.comThis hurricane season in the Pacific just set a record for activityA powerful El Niño has cemented 2026’s place as the busiest year on record for storm activity in the eastern and central tropical Pacific Ocean.
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An El Niño of record proportions has developed, with the Niño 3.4 region reaching the highest peak sea surface temperature anomaly on record. By this metric, this El Niño has now surpassed historically significant events in 1997 and 1982.

washingtonpost.comThe ongoing El Niño has officially reached record levelsThe United States will probably experience the biggest effects from the weather pattern this winter.
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A powerful heat dome — which will become the strongest on the planet Wednesday — will tower 3.7 miles above Tennessee, drawing extreme heat and humidity into the central U.S. “I don’t even know what to say anymore,” meteorologist Pete Delkus said.

washingtonpost.comIt’s almost fall, but this record heat dome didn’t get the memoThe strongest heat dome on the planet will soon tower 3.7 miles above Tennessee, drawing extreme heat and humidity into the central United States from the Gulf of Mexico.
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An El Niño-driven wave of warm water is approaching the U.S. West Coast. It’s expected to raise sea levels and drive flood risks in the months ahead, affecting California’s Pacific Coast Highway and marine life.

washingtonpost.comThis El Niño-fueled phenomenon could soon bring major flood risks to the WestElevated sea levels could contribute to damaging coastal flooding and beach erosion along the West Coast this year, particularly during powerful storms and the highest tides.
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New climate model predictions suggest that the ongoing El Niño will soon become stronger than any such event on record. See when the record could be broken and what that means for the weather:

washingtonpost.comEl Niño is predicted to soon become the strongest on recordNew climate model predictions suggest that the ongoing El Niño will soon become stronger than any event recorded before — potentially by the end of September.
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Social media has been abuzz with weather maps showing newly formed Tropical Storm Marie, which is expected to strengthen into a hurricane, hitting Southern California next week. That’s unlikely. Here’s why:

washingtonpost.comNo, a hurricane is not expected to hit California next weekEven if California avoids the worst of this storm, it could signal a heightened risk of tropical threats in the weeks and months ahead.
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Flash flooding in the Grand Canyon, which killed at least one person, was fueled by Arizona’s monsoon season, a record-breaking El Niño and a marine heat wave. These factors increased atmospheric moisture by 5 to 15 percent, leading to extreme rainfall.

washingtonpost.comThese forces drove the deadly Grand Canyon flash floodingFloods in the Grand Canyon were connected to a wider pattern of extra warmth, humidity and moisture flowing into the United States from record warm Pacific Ocean waters.
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One of this summer's most notable trends in the U.S. has been toward warmer nights 📈 The previous minimum temperature record from 2021 will be smashed by almost half a degree. Daytime high temperatures have been 11th-highest on record, falling short of the Dust Bowl-era heat.

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Breaking: Summer 2026 is expected to become the warmest on record in the contiguous United States, nudging past the Dust Bowl summer of 1936. The season is on track to have the highest average temperatures, minimum temperatures and humidity levels since records began in 1895 🧵

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Southern California is known for its mild winters, warm summers and plentiful sunshine. That is, until Thursday, when the dew point reached 81 degrees along the Salton Sea. Here’s the science behind why it suddenly felt like a jungle there:

washingtonpost.comIt was just more humid in Southern California than the rest of the U.S.On Thursday, humidity in Southern California spiked higher than notoriously humid places such as Florida, Louisiana and Texas.