The strengthening super El Niño in the Pacific Ocean could amplify more extreme rain events in Florida like the one during the Learjet 60 crash in Palm Beach County on Sunday, a Florida meteorologist has warned. The private jet crashed into a mobile home community, creating a massive fireball near homes and a major roadway and killing all nine people on board, authorities said. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the fatalities in a post on X, calling the incident a "horrific tragedy." The identities of the victims had not been publicly released.
Shortly before the flight from Austin, Texas to the Bahamas crashed, the pilot reported precipitation and requested a climb and then declared an emergency, reporting a descent of 20,000 feet per minute. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is leading the investigation, with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) assistance. The crash happened as extreme rain struck the region.
A flood watch due to excessive rainfall was in effect through Monday afternoon, the National Weather Service (NWS) said. WFLA-TV Chief Meteorologist Jeff Berardelli said the extreme rain was amplified by super El Niño. El Niño is the warm phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle.
It occurs between every two to seven years and typically lasts between nine and 12 months, although a particularly strong El Niño can last longer. It is characterized by unusually warm ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific and weakened trade winds, which can influence weather around the globe in different ways. This year's El Niño has already broken records in terms of how far above average the ocean surface temperatures have risen.
A stronger El Niño can be associated with stronger storms. The El Niño can influence weather patterns around the globe. In the U.S., it typically brings warmer, drier weather to the northern regions during the winter months, with wetter, stormier conditions expected across the South.
AccuWeather Vice President for Forecasting Operations Dan DePodwin told Newsweek the atmospheric conditions that occurred at the same time as the Learjet 60 crash could be common in Florida this winter. "This crash occurred during a major rain event across the Florida peninsula that brought dangerous flash flooding to Brevard County near Melbourne," said DePodwin. "Heavy rain events as well as severe thunderstorms may be common in Florida this winter.
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