El Niño intensifies Pacific hurricane season while suppressing Atlantic activity

The El Niño weather pattern has driven record hurricane activity in the eastern Pacific, with 22 named storms and 12 hurricanes including 10 major ones so far this season. In contrast, the Atlantic has seen unusual quietness, with only one hurricane making landfall in the U.S. Gulf Coast, the latest-forming on record. El Niño's warming of ocean waters and increased wind shear are cited as the primary drivers behind these divergent regional effects.