Pedestrians shield themselves with umbrellas while walking along the Halifax waterfront as rain falls ahead of Hurricane Fiona making landfall in Halifax, Friday, Sept. 23, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese
El Nino expected to lessen the number of tropical storms and hurricanes this season
May 21, 2026 | 1:19 PM
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HALIFAX — The Canadian Hurricane Centre is predicting a slightly below average hurricane season because forecasters are anticipating the emergence of a disruptive El Nino climate pattern.
The Atlantic hurricane season starts on June 1 and ends Nov. 30.
Senior meteorologist Bob Robichaud says the arrival of El Nino results in warmer water rising to the surface of the Pacific Ocean near the equator, which is expected to happen around the same time hurricane season peaks in September.
Robichaud says the El Nino phenomenon creates wind shear on the western side of the Atlantic, where it can disrupt the formation of hurricanes by tearing them apart.
