A rare trio of hurricanes were forming in the Pacific Ocean on Thursday, a development scientists linked to the unusually strong El Niño weather pattern. Tropical Storm Marie had recently strengthened into a hurricane off the coast of Baja California, joining two other powerful storms, Hurricanes Karina and Lowell—both rated as Category 4—moving westward across the Pacific. Julia Cole, a climate scientist from the University of Michigan, told AFP that having three hurricanes at once is "definitely rare." She explained that El Niño, which warms the tropical Pacific, creates conditions that fuel strong storms. "When the ocean is warmer than normal, we see more intense tropical systems," Cole said. Hurricane Lowell, located about 440 miles (710 kilometers) south of Hilo, Hawaii, was expected to remain a major hurricane for several days as it moved west. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned that swells from Lowell could create life-threatening surf and rip current conditions in parts of Hawaii over the next few days. The NHC also noted that long-range forecasts for the storm’s path and strength were "more uncertain than usual." This comes as Hawaii is still recovering from Hurricane Lala, which passed near the southern part of the Big Island last month, causing damaging winds and severe flash floods. Hurricane Karina, which was slightly weaker after moving northwest, is expected to remain a hurricane for the next couple of days. Behind them, Tropical Storm Marie, now a hurricane, was positioned 375 miles (600 kilometers) southwest of the southern tip of Baja California and was predicted to continue strengthening through Friday. Scientists say warm ocean waters provide energy for storms, and El Niño reduces wind shear in the atmosphere, allowing hurricanes to grow stronger. Benjamin Kirtman, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Miami, said the current sea surface temperatures are near a record high, making conditions "juicy" for storm development. El Niño, the warming phase of a natural climate cycle known as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), occurs every two to seven years. It happens when trade winds weaken, allowing warm water from the western Pacific to shift eastward. This warming leads to more storms and rainfall in some areas while causing droughts in others. Climate change is intensifying these effects, as a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, leading to more extreme weather events. The current El Niño has a 69% chance of becoming the strongest on record, and it is already causing extreme weather globally, even though it is not expected to reach its peak until October–December. From Peru, where warming seas are crippling the anchovy industry, to Sudan, where delayed rains have dropped Nile water levels, the impacts of El Niño are being felt around the world.