Hurricane triplets spin across the Pacific Ocean

Hurricane triplets are currently swirling in the Pacific Ocean. On September 2, 2026, the GOES-18 satellite captured the storms churning. The trio consists of Lowell, Karina, and Marie. This is the first time there have been three simultaneous hurricanes of any strength in the Pacific Ocean since 2015, when Kilo, Ignacio, and Jimena were the last such triplets.

Lowell, the strongest of the three, rapidly strengthened this week. It reached Category 5 status with sustained winds of 160 mph (257 kph) before weakening to 155 mph (249 kph), placing it back in Category 4. Lowell is currently south of Hawaii and heading west, but it will make a turn north by the weekend, which could affect Hawaii.

Karina, another Category 4 hurricane, had sustained winds of 145 mph (233 kph) on Wednesday. It too weakened slightly, with winds dropping to 130 mph (209 kph), still in the low end of a Category 4. Karina is currently east of Hawaii but will also turn north over the weekend, fortunately before it reaches the islands.

Marie, the weakest of the three, is a Category 1 hurricane with sustained winds of 80 mph (129 kph). It is located near the Baja California peninsula of Mexico and is currently strengthening. Initially, there was concern that Marie could affect California, but it now appears it will move safely out into the Pacific.

While these hurricanes are in El Niño conditions, which typically contribute to more hurricane formation in the Pacific due to warmer waters and reduced wind shear, the Atlantic hurricane season has been quiet so far, with only five named storms.