Hawaii officials stress preparedness despite below-normal central Pacific hurricane season outlook WPXI [Video]

HONOLULU — (AP) — This year’s hurricane season for waters around Hawaii will likely be “below normal” with one to four tropical cyclones across the central Pacific region, forecasters said Tuesday.

A near-normal season has four or five cyclones, which include tropical depressions, tropical storms and hurricanes.

Last year, during strong El Nino conditions, four tropical cyclones entered into the central Pacific. El Nino is a naturally occurring climate phenomenon that starts with unusually warm water in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific and then changes weather worldwide.

This year’s below-average prediction is due to a quick transition from El Nino to La Nina conditions, scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in announcing the 2024 central Pacific hurricane season outlook Tuesday.

La Nina is a natural and temporary cooling of parts of the Pacific Ocean that also changes weather worldwide. La Nina’s effects are often opposite of El Nino, so there are more hurricanes in …