Looking 2015 in the Eye

Photo: NOAAAn image of the eye of Hurricane Patricia, taken by the Suomi NPP satellite's VIIRS instrument

Out of a year’s worth of visually stunning news, Climate Central chose this October 23 satellite image of Hurricane Patricia as its “Climate Image of the Year” for 2015. The colorful infrared picture is a (really) strong choice—with 200-mph sustained winds, Patricia was the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Western Hemisphere.

But reflecting on the headline-making hurricane (which thankfully wrought underwhelming damage once it made landfall) also means anticipating what’s to come. Abnormally warm waters in the eastern Pacific, a product of both climate change and El Niño, fueled the storm’s rapid intensification. And the gruesome twosome is likely to bring more noteworthy moments in 2016.

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