Historic El Niño breaks Atlantic hurricane record and stalls Pacific marine life

The strengthening El Niño has officially broken a modern meteorological record, leaving the Atlantic completely devoid of hurricanes at what is normally the peak of the tropical season. As of mid-September, not a single hurricane has formed in the basin—surpassing the previous record of 11 September set in both 2002 and 2013.

In a typical year, the Atlantic would have seen eight named storms and three hurricanes by this point. Instead, there have been just five tropical storms: Arthur, Bertha, Cristobal, Dolly, and Edouard. The hostile wind conditions created by El Niño's warming of the Pacific are tearing potential storms apart before they can develop, acting as an atmospheric shield over the US and the Caribbean.

Starving the Pacific food chain

But while the Atlantic remains eerily quiet, the Pacific Ocean is bearing the brunt of the warming. Indian space agency ISRO has revealed that its Oceansat-3 satellite, launched in 2022, has detected a sharp drop in marine productivity across the equatorial Pacific.

Data from April to June 2026 shows a significant reduction in surface chlorophyll-a—the green pigment essential for photosynthesis. The warming of the ocean surface has weakened the easterly trade winds, preventing cooler, nutrient-rich water from rising from the depths. Without these nutrients, phytoplankton cannot grow, starving the base of the marine food chain.

Scientists at the National Remote Sensing Centre in Hyderabad warn that this barren zone is likely to expand. With multiple global weather agencies warning of a "very strong" El Niño peaking between September and November, the event is forecast to prevail until February 2027.

Deficits and heat on land

The atmospheric disruption is also hitting land. In southern India, the state of Telangana is grappling with a severe dry spell. The state has recorded a 24% monsoon rainfall deficit, receiving 48.8 cm of rain against a normal of 64 cm. Twenty of the state's 33 districts are officially rain-deficient.

"This year, rainfall was 12% below normal in June and 1% below normal in July," said senior weather consultant Y.V. Rama Rao. "The deficit widened to 38% in August and has remained particularly severe in September, when rainfall has been almost absent."

The state's current crisis mirrors the intense El Niño of 1997, which left Telangana with a 33% monsoon deficit. Prolonged clear skies have pushed daytime temperatures up to four degrees Celsius above normal, with highs reaching 38C.

There is a sliver of hope for the region. Meteorologists expect a low-pressure system to develop over the Bay of Bengal after 22 September, which could bring widespread rain into early October. But globally, the footprint of this historic climate event is already firmly established, from silent Atlantic skies to struggling Pacific ecosystems.