The El Niño that is already reshaping weather across Asia is also fuelling storms on the other side of the Pacific. CBS News reports that the Pacific has broken a record for big, long-lasting hurricanes east of the international date line, turbocharged by what scientists describe as a supersized El Niño.
In Mexico, the effects are already visible. CBS reports that Hurricane Simon continued moving slowly up the coast of west-central Mexico after tropical weather systems caused six deaths and damage in Pacific coastal towns and resorts. Slow-moving storms are particularly dangerous because they can drop huge amounts of rain on the same area, leading to flooding and landslides, and they keep damaging winds in place for longer.
El Niño is a natural climate pattern involving warmer-than-usual surface waters in the central and eastern Pacific, and it changes weather around the world. In the eastern Pacific, warmer water can provide more energy for hurricanes. In Southeast Asia, it is often associated with hotter and drier conditions, which is one reason Malaysia is paying attention to warnings about heat and dry spells. I did not see the scientists' full analysis, so readers should check the original report for the technical details.
For people in storm-prone areas, practical preparation matters: follow official warnings, know your evacuation routes, secure documents and supplies, and avoid driving through floodwater. For everyone else, the story is a reminder that climate patterns are connected across oceans, and that an event in the Pacific can influence conditions thousands of kilometres away. Watch for updates on the storm's path and on forecasts for the coming months.
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