Marine heatwave moving in from Pacific could cause weather chaos for months

A massive marine heatwave in the Pacific Ocean may cause weather chaos for months across the U.S., according to a report.

The heatwave covers about 13.5 percent of Earth’s total surface, from the Philippines to Peru and north toward the coasts of Hawaii and California. Marine heatwaves are periods of prolonged abnormally warm ocean temperatures and can vary in severity, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The massive heatwave formed after two smaller heatwaves in the North Pacific and along the equator combined, though experts warn the unusually warm waters may be a sign of worse weather ahead, The Washington Post reported.

“Months and months of warmth could mean stark impacts this winter and next spring,” climate scientist Dillon Amaya told the outlet.

A super typhoon in the western Pacific Ocean and a heat dome in the western U.S. are expected in mid-July as a result of the marine heatwave, according to the report.

Typhoon Bavi will pass by the Northern Mariana Islands on Monday and could bring potential destruction to Taiwan and China later this week. Meanwhile, thunderstorms caused by the heatwave may also start a heat dome over the western portion of the U.S. later this month.

The warm Pacific waters may cause sea levels to rise in California, and bad winter storms could cause them to climb even higher, climate scientist Daniel Swain said in a recent livestream.

“This is the time for local governments, for county governments and for the state government to start to prepare for a significant likelihood of much higher than average sea levels, more disruptive coastal flooding and potentially record-breaking coastal water levels during winter storm events and king tide events,” Swain said.

“This coming winter, right now, does look like one where there’s an increased likelihood of historically unusual to unprecedented rain and storm events,” Swain said.

The large amount of heat in the Pacific getting released into the atmosphere may also cause more severe storms, flooding and thunderstorms across the southern and eastern U.S.

The warmer temperatures in the Pacific Ocean will likely also bring more extreme rain events.

The portion of the global ocean that is experiencing marine heatwaves has more than tripled since the 1980s, increasing from about nine percent to more than 30 percent.

More than 37 percent of the global ocean is currently covered by a marine heatwave, but that number may rise even further as the ocean continues to warm.