Hurricane Patricia was the most intense tropical cyclone on record in the eastern North Pacific or Atlantic, reaching a peak intensity of 95ms(-1) only 30h after attaining hurricane status (33ms(-1)). Here it is shown that exceptionally warm sea surface temperatures (SSTs), a deeper than normal thermocline, and strong near-surface salinity stratification all aided Patricia's rapid intensification, combining to increase its Potential Intensity by 1-14ms(-1). Anomalous surface warming and thermocline deepening along Patricia's track were driven by prolonged El Nino conditions during 2014-2015 and punctuated by the buildup to the extreme El Nino of 2015-2016. In the region where Patricia intensified, SST was 1.5 degrees C higher and sea surface height was 10cm higher compared to conditions during the last extreme El Nino in 1997, emphasizing the extraordinary nature of the 2015 anomalies.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/2016gl070274

Journal Article

Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR)