Science
Forecasters Warn a 'Historic' El Niño Will Bring a Warmer, Wetter U.S. Winter
NOAA says it expects above-average warmth across much of the country and wetter conditions in several regions, with coastal flooding a risk on both coasts.
Topic
Pacific
12 stories from Planck Standard. Latest: October 30, 2026.
WorldHurricane Polo Hits Category 5 Off Mexico, Among the Strongest Pacific Storms Ever
Polo's winds peaked at 175 mph after what forecasters called a 'truly remarkable' burst of strengthening. It is expected to skirt the coast of Guerrero and Michoacán rather than make landfall.
Top NewsThree Hurricanes Spun in the Pacific at Once. That Has Happened One Other Time on Record
Lowell reached Category 5 south of Hawaii, Karina held Category 4 to its east, and Marie churned off Baja California. The Atlantic has not produced a single hurricane this season.
Top NewsThe U.S. and Ecuador Boarded a Floating Gas Station for Drug Boats, Took Everyone Off, Then Sank It From the Air
Marines from the USS San Antonio cleared the vessel without a shot fired before an airstrike destroyed it. At least 227 people have now been killed in 68 boat strikes since the campaign began.
WorldChina Fires a Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile Deep Into the Pacific, Rattling U.S. Allies
Beijing's first publicly acknowledged strategic SLBM test into open ocean sent a training warhead more than 8,000 kilometers and drew sharp protests from Washington, Tokyo, Canberra and Wellington.
Top NewsCategory 5 Super Typhoon Bavi Slams U.S. Mariana Islands With 180 MPH Winds
The eyewall of one of the most powerful storms on Earth this year passed over Rota as residents of the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam were ordered to shelter in place against catastrophic winds and flooding.
WorldPowerful 7.8 Earthquake Strikes Off Southern Philippines, Triggering Tsunami Warnings Across the Pacific
The quake jolted Mindanao early Monday, collapsing buildings in General Santos City and prompting evacuation orders for nine provinces as waves of up to three meters were forecast.
PoliticsU.S. Death Toll From Strikes on Alleged Drug Boats Tops 200 as Legal Challenges Mount
A military campaign launched in September has killed more than 200 people in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. Families and legal experts say the strikes lack any plausible legal basis.
PoliticsU.S. Strikes on Alleged Drug Boats Push Death Toll to at Least 199 as Recent Survivors Vanish
The Trump administration's months-long campaign against suspected trafficking vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific has now killed nearly 200 people. The Pentagon's watchdog is reviewing whether targeting rules were followed.
WatchTop NewsJapan 7.7-Magnitude Earthquake Triggers Tsunami Warning, 172,000 Evacuated Along Sanriku Coast
Waves up to 1.8 meters struck harbor towns; Japan’s seawall network credited with limiting inland damage near 2011 disaster zone.
- World
Strongest Earthquake of 2026 Strikes Near Tonga — Magnitude 7.5, No Tsunami
The deep-focus quake centered 95 miles west of Neiafu rattled nearby Pacific islands but caused no significant damage, its destructive power dissipated by a depth of 148 miles below the ocean floor.
Science800 Species Documented in Deep Pacific Survey as Carnivorous 'Death-Ball Sponge' Makes Headlines
A five-year, 160-day-at-sea expedition catalogued 788 species in the abyssal Pacific, while separate Southern Ocean and Argentine Basin surveys added dozens more potential new species.
