Five storms have formed simultaneously in the Pacific Ocean, three of which have strengthened into superstorms. This has caused a great threat to thousands of people living in coastal areas.
Storms have been one of nature’s most destructive forces. Storms cause severe damage due to strong winds, heavy rains, flash floods and rough seas. Coastal areas are particularly vulnerable to the effects of storms.
In this case, the formation of five storms at the same time in the sea is considered a rare and attention-grabbing event. Currently five storms are said to have formed in the Pacific Ocean namely Polo, Surike, Nolo, Odalis and Rachel.
Three storms, namely Polo, Surike and Nolo, have reached extreme levels. Odalis and Rachel were reported as storms of medium strength. Apart from this, three more low pressure zones have formed in the Pacific and Atlantic regions. Cyclone Polo has formed in the eastern Pacific Ocean off the coast of Mexico and has rapidly strengthened into a superstorm.
Storm Nolo has strengthened in the central Pacific Ocean and is moving toward the Hawaiian Islands. Likewise, Cyclone Surike, which formed in the western Pacific region, has strengthened into a superstorm and is reported to be moving towards Taiwan.
Although it is a normal occurrence for multiple storms to form simultaneously in different ocean regions of the world, it is considered a rare event for three storms to reach super intensity at the same time. Earlier in 2015, three very intense storms formed simultaneously in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean.
The temperature of the sea water is a major factor in the formation of storms. Generally, when sea surface temperatures are around 26.5°C or higher, the energy and moisture needed to form storms is available.
Studies show that the temperature of sea water in some ocean areas has increased more than usual due to factors including El Niño and global warming. This may create favorable conditions for multiple severe storms to form simultaneously. Also, as ocean waters have warmed more in recent years, even normal low-pressure areas are increasingly becoming intense storms in short periods of time, according to researchers.
With multiple storms forming simultaneously, meteorological centers are constantly monitoring their movement, intensity and potential for landfall.