Weather history has been made, folks. As long as we've been keeping records, there have never been three Category 4 hurricanes swirling in the central and eastern Pacific basins at the same time. But that's just what happened over the weekend. Hurricanes Ignacio, Jimena, and Kilo were each recorded in the region, with winds between 130mph and 156mph, though Ignacio was later downgraded to a Category 2, reports the Weather Network. It was initially expected to hit Hawaii, but will probably miss it along with Kilo and Jimena. Still, residents are buying up supplies and emergency personnel are on call. "This hurricane season seems to be busier than normal," a Red Cross rep tells the Los Angeles Times. "We are always trying to be prepared, and we’re only halfway through the season. Everyone should always be ready."
A meteorologist says the event is "extremely rare." In fact, "I don't think it has ever happened before," he says, noting three Category 3 storms have never been recorded in the region, either. The area usually sees around 16 storms per year; its highest tally was 28 in 1992. Though this year's forecast was 15 to 22 named storms, 14 have been recorded already. Officials blame El Niño, a warmer than normal sea temperature, since hurricanes feed on warm water. "When the hurricanes reach the Hawaiian Islands, the sea surface temperatures are normally relatively cooler, so the storms lose some power," the meteorologist says. "This year is different…and the hurricanes have maintained their intensity as they move north." In another rare event, Hurricane Fred, pounding the Cape Verde Islands, has traveled the second-farthest distance east of any Atlantic hurricane on record, per Gawker. (More Hurricane Jimena stories.)
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