Super El Niño to disrupt travel plans starting August through the fall

Key Points:

• A rapidly intensifying El Niño is underway across the tropical Pacific, with NOAA predicting an 81% chance it will be the strongest on record by fall and a 97% chance it will persist through winter and spring.
• El Niño's influence will disrupt weather patterns across North America, particularly energizing a subtropical jet stream that will increase storm frequency and travel disruptions across the southern and eastern U.S.
• Key travel hotspots at risk of severe weather delays include New Orleans, Mobile, West Palm Beach, Orlando, and Wilmington, which are expected to experience above-average rainfall during this Super El Niño event.
• Conversely, cities such as Lexington, Indianapolis, Columbus, Knoxville, and San Juan are forecasted to have near-average rainfall and fewer travel disruptions amid the El Niño conditions.
• El Niño typically leads to above-average tropical storm activity in the Eastern Pacific, with the basin averaging 15 named storms, 8 hurricanes, and 4 major hurricanes during such events.