A Tale of Two Basins: The Wildly Uneven 2026 Hurricane Season The 2026 hurricane season tells a contrasting story: a subdued Atlantic with no hurricanes and only seven named storms, versus a hyperactive Pacific with 18 named storms and eight hurricanes. This imbalance is attributed to a record-robust El Niño, which enhances Pacific storm aCtivity while inhibiting Atlantic development. Additional contributors include environmental conditions like Ethiopian drought and atmospheric wind shear. As global warming progresses,such extreme seasonal variations may become more regular. el Niño is just one reason for a wildly uneven hurricane season. The Atlantic is historically quiet, while the Pacific is a parade of powerful storms. This year, the Atlantic has seen only seven named storms - far below the average 14 to 15 - and none of them has reached hurricane strength. In contrast, the Pacific has produced 18 tropical storms, including eight hurricanes,with Hurricane Polo recently peaking at 180 mph. This disparity is largely driven by the strong El Niño pattern, which suppresses Atlantic activity while fueling Pacific stoRms - yet other factors, like drought in Ethiopia and persistent wind shear, also play a role. As climate change intensifies, such extremes are likely to become more frequent.