Christian Bale and Jessie Buckley Share the &x27;Enormous Liberation&x27; They Found While Making "The Bride!" (Exclusive) Nigel SmithFri, March 6, 2026 at 5:36 PM UTC 0 Christian Bale and Jessie BuckleyCredit: David Jon/Getty Christian Bale and Jessie Buckley talk to PEOPLE about their wild new movie, The Bride! "I think that maniacs are the best people on earth, and she's a maniac," Bale says of his costar The Bride! is now in theaters Christian Bale and Jessie Buckley were kindred wild spirits while making The Bride! The pair star in Maggie Gyllenhaal's bold reimagining of The Bride of Fran...

Christian Bale and Jessie Buckley Share the 'Enormous Liberation' They Found While Making "The Bride!" (Exclusive)

Nigel SmithFri, March 6, 2026 at 5:36 PM UTC

0

Christian Bale and Jessie BuckleyCredit: David Jon/Getty -

Christian Bale and Jessie Buckley talk to PEOPLE about their wild new movie, The Bride!

"I think that maniacs are the best people on earth, and she's a maniac," Bale says of his costar

The Bride! is now in theaters

Christian Bale and Jessie Buckley were kindred wild spirits while making The Bride!

The pair star in Maggie Gyllenhaal's bold reimagining of The Bride of Frankenstein, with Buckley as the titular bride and Bale as her monstrous suitor. As the two actors tell PEOPLE, they developed a close bond over the course of making the 1930s-set thriller together.

"You get this beautiful insanity in what we do," Bale, 52, says of collaborating with Buckley, 36, on the project while seated next to the Hamnet star. "And when you get a like mind who loves maniacs... I think you love maniacs," he adds, directing his focus to his costar who nods in approval."I think that maniacs are the best people on earth, and she's a maniac," says Bale."You're a maniac," Buckley responds with a smile."I'm a maniac," Bale confirms."Maggie's a maniac," adds Buckley.

The Bride!Credit: Niko Tavernise/Warner Bros.

Continues Bale, "And when you see that, you go, ah, right, there's no limits here. And you can have wonderful restraint with that and holding it back, but then you know you can let it go and there's nobody judging you for that. And it's an enormous liberation."

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For Gyllenhaal's second movie as a director following 2021's Oscar-nominated The Lost Daughter, the actress-turned-filmmaker, 48, reunited with Bale 18 years after playing doomed lovers in The Dark Knight.

Gyllenhaal tells PEOPLE that despite working "closely" with Bale on the Christopher Nolan blockbuster, in which she played Gotham District Attorney Rachel Dawes opposite Bale's Bruce Wayne/Batman, she felt like she was meeting the actor "anew" as his director.

The Bride!Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

"I really liked him, and making that movie was amazing, but it wasn't nearly as intimate as what was required here," Gyllenhaal says, comparing the experiences. "And so even when I called him and offered him the part ... I mean, it had been so long since we'd worked together, I felt like what we needed to even immediately start talking about and thinking about and discussing and feeling together was so much deeper than what we'd gotten into the last time. Even the first phone call felt like a whole new thing."

The Bride! also stars Peter Sarsgaard, Jake Gyllenhaal, Penélope Cruz, Julianne Hough, John Magaro and Annette Bening. The movie is in theaters March 6.

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Christian Bale and Jessie Buckley Share the 'Enormous Liberation' They Found While Making “The Bride!” (Exclusive)

Christian Bale and Jessie Buckley Share the &x27;Enormous Liberation&x27; They Found While Making "The B...

"The View"&x27;s Elisabeth Hasselbeck breaks down onair clash with Sunny Hostin over voting for Donald Trump: &x27;I felt alive&x27; Joey NolfiFri, March 6, 2026 at 1:00 PM UTC 2 Sunny Hostin and Elisabeth Hasselbeck on 'The View'Credit: ABC The View is alive with the sound of conservative clashing. With guest cohost and staunch Republican Elisabeth Hasselbeck locked in for her weeklong return to the Hot Topics table, the show has turned up the heat across recent airings.

"The View"'s Elisabeth Hasselbeck breaks down on-air clash with Sunny Hostin over voting for Donald Trump: 'I felt alive'

Joey NolfiFri, March 6, 2026 at 1:00 PM UTC

2

Sunny Hostin and Elisabeth Hasselbeck on 'The View'Credit: ABC

The View is alive with the sound of conservative clashing.

With guest cohost and staunch Republican Elisabeth Hasselbeck locked in for her week-long return to the Hot Topics table, the show has turned up the heat across recent airings. On her first day back, the Survivor alum weathered a jab from permanent liberal panelist Sunny Hostin about voting for Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election. Now, Hasselbeck has reacted to the headline-making moment.

"The audience 'oo'ed, like, it was a gasp," producer Brian Teta told Hasselbeck when he interviewed her on The View's companion podcast, Behind the Table.

"The headlines were crazy. I know you don't read them all, but it was like, 'Elisabeth claps back,' 'audience gasps,'" Teta said.

Whoopi Goldberg, Sara Haines, Ana Navarro, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Sunny Hostin, and Elisabeth Hasselbeck on 'The View'Credit: ABC

Hasselbeck admitted that "it felt fun" to go up against Hostin on national television.

"What's interesting, and I think having been here and seeing you work so wonderfully well, I feel like one of the greatest things is, it doesn't feel manipulated, like we have to do something," the 48-year-old said. "In your expertise and production, just be you, guide the show, and everything kind of happens because all the thinking happens before the show, with topics and deciding and how we'll get to this place that's relevant."

Hasselbeck told Teta that she loves "how the show is run right now," and that there's a "freshness" that doesn't have the "spirit of contention."

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"It always made me laugh," she said. "With guys it's like, 'They had a great debate.' When you put women there it's like, 'They fought, they pulled each other's hair, they're slashing each other with their nails.'"

Addressing the eyebrows she's raised at the table this week — including during conflicts over comments she gave comparing protective COVID masks to those worn by ICE agents to conceal their identities amid immigration raids — Hasselbeck again said that the energy at the table excites her.

"Actually, I felt alive, like, 'Yeah, let's go," she said of facing off against Hostin. "I think Sunny felt the same way. Between breaks I was like, 'That was cool, let's go.' I love debating someone who comes prepared, who's skilled, who actually has a point of view that they believe in deeply, with passion, and it comes to, let's take it another round. It's fun."

Teta told Hasselbeck that Hostin told him that the star "can give a punch" and also "take a punch," and that she won't later be "walking off the stage on the commercial break crying or angry or anything like that."

Hasselbeck was, however, famously captured on audio walking off the stage during a commercial break, crying and angry after an on-air disagreement with the late Barbara Walters in 2006.

Joy Behar also found herself on the receiving end of Hasselbeck's ire in January 2025, after the latter publicly condemned her former colleague's criticism of Carrie Underwood's decision to perform at Trump's second inauguration.

The View airs weekdays on ABC.

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“The View”'s Elisabeth Hasselbeck breaks down on-air clash with Sunny Hostin over voting for Donald Trump: 'I felt alive'

"The View"&x27;s Elisabeth Hasselbeck breaks down onair clash with Sunny Hostin over voting for Donald...
New Photo - How Sarah Ferguson's $475K Divorce Payout Made Her 'Desperate for Money' While Princess Diana Received $22 Million

How Sarah Ferguson&x27;s $475K Divorce Payout Made Her &x27;Desperate for Money&x27; While Princess Diana Received $22 Million Erin Hill, Simon Perry, Meredith KileFri, March 6, 2026 at 3:29 PM UTC 0 Sarah Ferguson; Princess DianaCredit: Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty; Jayne Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty Sarah Ferguson was "desperate" for money after her divorce from the former Prince Andrew While Princess Diana reportedly received $22 million in her split from thenPrince Charles, Ferguson received an estimated $475,000 Ferguson's money troubles involved a cashforaccess sc...

How Sarah Ferguson's $475K Divorce Payout Made Her 'Desperate for Money' While Princess Diana Received $22 Million

Erin Hill, Simon Perry, Meredith KileFri, March 6, 2026 at 3:29 PM UTC

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Sarah Ferguson; Princess DianaCredit: Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty; Jayne Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty -

Sarah Ferguson was "desperate" for money after her divorce from the former Prince Andrew

While Princess Diana reportedly received $22 million in her split from then-Prince Charles, Ferguson received an estimated $475,000

Ferguson's money troubles involved a cash-for-access scandal and financial entanglements with Jeffrey Epstein

Sarah Ferguson and Princess Diana found themselves in very different financial situations after divorcing their royal husbands.

Diana reportedly received a $22 million settlement as well as an annual allowance after divorcing the future King Charles in 1996. Meanwhile, Ferguson's settlement after ending her marriage to the former Prince Andrew the same year was estimated at around $475,000.

In a 2010 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Ferguson hinted that she accepted less money in hopes of a more cordial future relationship with the royals. "I chose friendship with the family. I wanted friendship with the boss," she said, referring to Queen Elizabeth.

However, the sum made it difficult for Ferguson to maintain her lifestyle following the divorce.

"She was introduced to this lifestyle and kept living it," Robert Jobson, author of The Windsor Legacy, tells PEOPLE for this week's cover story. "She was desperate for money."

Sarah Fergusona nd Princess Diana in June 1987Credit: Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty

Ferguson became a spokesperson for Weight Watchers, wrote a memoir and a series of children's books, created a dinnerware line with Wedgwood China and more. While her ventures varied, the strategy remained the same: proximity for profit.

Her financial needs led to a scandal in May 2010, when she was caught on camera accepting cash in exchange for access to Andrew and the royal family. However, the man offering the money turned out to be an undercover reporter for the News of the World.

"I was so out of control with desperation where I'd reached a point of no return," Ferguson told Winfrey a month after the video went public. She said that she'd done the deal because a friend "needed $38,000 urgently," but she asked for more money for herself.

The former Duchess of York said at the time that she'd gone into debt "trying to keep Sarah going," and was facing a "huge uphill battle" trying to get herself financially solvent.

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Sarah Ferguson in November 2004Credit: ShowBizIreland/Getty

Ferguson's money troubles were also apparent in her relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and a subject that the pair seemingly communicated about on numerous occasions, as seen in the recently released Epstein files from the Department of Justice.

In one email exchange from a certain "Sarah" from May 2010, the same month she was caught in the cash-for-access sting, Ferguson appears to plead with Epstein for a job.

"But why I don't understand, don't you just get me to be your House Assistant. I am the most capable and desperately need the money," Ferguson seemingly wrote, according to the email. "Please Jeffrey think about it."

In others, she appears to thank him for his help with brand deals, asks him to fund her travels and praises his "generosity and kindness."

Sarah Ferguson; Jeffrey EpsteinCredit: Mike Marsland/WireImage; Rick Friedman/Corbis via Getty

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Ferguson has been keeping a low public profile following Andrew's arrest on Feb. 19 on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The Thames Valley Police is investigating claims that the disgraced duke shared confidential information with Epstein while serving as a British trade envoy.

King Charles stripped his brother of his royal titles in October, and Andrew and Ferguson were made to give up the lease on their longtime Windsor home, Royal Lodge.

A source close to Ferguson tells PEOPLE that, despite overcoming past scandals to remain in the royal orbit, the Epstein connection may end up being the final straw for the former Duchess of York.

"She always thinks she can bounce back," the insider says. "But this isn't something that can blow over."

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How Sarah Ferguson's $475K Divorce Payout Made Her 'Desperate for Money' While Princess Diana Received $22 Million

How Sarah Ferguson&x27;s $475K Divorce Payout Made Her &x27;Desperate for Money&x27; While Princess Diana R...
New Photo - 'Harry Potter' alums Daniel Radcliffe, Tom Felton reunite on Broadway

&x27;Harry Potter&x27; alums Daniel Radcliffe, Tom Felton reunite on Broadway Anthony Robledo, USA TODAYThu, March 5, 2026 at 11:58 PM UTC 1 "Harry Potter" stars Daniel Radcliffe and Tom Felton may have played wizard rivals in the beloved movie franchise, but they are thrilled to see each other thriving in the Muggle world. Fans were enchanted to see Felton share a photo of himself and Radcliff reuniting on Broadway in a March 5 Instagram post captioned "Broomsticks to Broadway." The pair made time to show support for each other while simultaneously starring in separate Broadway productions.

'Harry Potter' alums Daniel Radcliffe, Tom Felton reunite on Broadway

Anthony Robledo, USA TODAYThu, March 5, 2026 at 11:58 PM UTC

1

"Harry Potter" stars Daniel Radcliffe and Tom Felton may have played wizard rivals in the beloved movie franchise, but they are thrilled to see each other thriving in the Muggle world.

Fans were enchanted to see Felton share a photo of himself and Radcliff reuniting on Broadway in a March 5 Instagram post captioned "Broomsticks to Broadway." The pair made time to show support for each other while simultaneously starring in separate Broadway productions.

Radcliffe is starring in Duncan Macmillan's "Every Brilliant Thing," an uplifting one-man show about empathy, depression and resilience. "Honestly, I've just moved from the stage of being super excited about it to just being absolutely terrified," Radcliffe told USA TODAY ahead of the show's February release date.

Felton reprised his role as the "Harry Potter" antagonist, Draco Malfoy, in a spin-off production titled "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child," an original play written by Jack Thorne. The story takes place nearly two decades after the events of the beloved book series and follows Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley, as well as Harry's son, Albus Severus Potter, and Malfoy's son, Scorpius Malfoy.

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Radcliffe and Felton were co-stars for eight movies in the "Harry Potter" film franchise from 2001 to 2011.

From left: Tom Felton, Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint at the premiere of "Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2" on July 11, 2011, in New York City.

Since "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2" was released in 2011, Radcliffe starred in various comedy films, including "Swiss Army Man," "Miracle Workers" and "Weird: The Al Yankovic Story." Felton has performed roles in movies such as "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," "Ophelia" and "The Forgotten Battle."

Fans can see Daniel Radcliffe star in "Every Brilliant Thing" through May 24 or Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy in the Broadway production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" through May 10.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Daniel Radcliffe and Tom Felton reunite years after 'Harry Potter'

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'Harry Potter' alums Daniel Radcliffe, Tom Felton reunite on Broadway

&x27;Harry Potter&x27; alums Daniel Radcliffe, Tom Felton reunite on Broadway Anthony Robledo, USA TODAYThu, Marc...

What Savannah Guthrie Told Her "Today" Colleagues During Emotional Reunion Alex RossThu, March 5, 2026 at 6:16 PM UTC 62 PEOPLE has learned what Savannah told her colleagues when she returned to the Today set on March 5 This is the first time Savannah has been to set since her mom Nancy disappeared on Feb. 1 A Today spokesperson previously confirmed Savannah's visit in a statement During her visit to the Today show set on March 5, Savannah Guthrie addressed her colleagues as she reunited with the team for the first time since her mom Nancy Guthrie's disappearance.

What Savannah Guthrie Told Her "Today" Colleagues During Emotional Reunion

Alex RossThu, March 5, 2026 at 6:16 PM UTC

62

PEOPLE has learned what Savannah told her colleagues when she returned to the Today set on March 5

This is the first time Savannah has been to set since her mom Nancy disappeared on Feb. 1

A Today spokesperson previously confirmed Savannah's visit in a statement

During her visit to the Today show set on March 5, Savannah Guthrie addressed her colleagues as she reunited with the team for the first time since her mom Nancy Guthrie's disappearance.

PEOPLE has learned that Savannah thanked the entire staff and crew for all of their love, prayers and support and for "caring about my mom as much as I do."

Savannah said in part, "I wanted you to know that I'm still standing, and I still have hope, and I'm still me. And I don't know what version of me that will be, but it will be. I'm holding onto my faith. I still believe. And as my mom would say, 'where else would I go?'"

Savannah Guthrie on March 5Credit: Backgrid

Savannah added: "I have every intention of coming back. I don't know how to come back, but I don't know how not to. You're my family. And, I would like to try."

PEOPLE has also learned that Savannah's friend and colleague Dylan Dreyer then led a "beautiful" group prayer for everyone, which began, "We're here holding hands as a family, in a place where we don't understand why this is happening.... It is not too bold to ask God for the biggest miracles every day."Before she left, Savannah hugged everyone in the studio.

Savannah Guthrie on March 5Credit: Backgrid

A Today spokesperson previously confirmed Savannah's visit to 1A, saying in a statement that the beloved anchor "stopped by the studio this morning to be with and thank her Today colleagues."

The spokesperson also noted that Savannah "plans to return to the show on air," though she currently "remains focused right now supporting her family and working to help bring Nancy home."

Shortly after the visit, Jenna Bush Hager and Sheinelle Jones began their fourth hour show, Today with Jenna & Sheinelle, and reflected on the emotional reunion.

Carson Daly, Craig Melvin, Savanah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker on Monday, June 3, 2024Credit: Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty

"Let's just get right into it, full disclosure, we've had a powerful morning this morning," Jones shared with viewers.

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"Savannah has come back to her home here at 30 Rock in Studio 1A," Bush Hager said, getting audibly choked up. "We got to see her this morning and in her perfect way, she talked to all of us, hugged every single person in this room, the crew."

"She said that she has the intention to return to the show even though it feels like the hardest thing to do. It's also her home and where she feels so loved," Bush Hager added. "And she is beyond loved here. So we're happy she's home. I don't know when she's actually returning to the show. But she was here and that felt so good to get to hug her."

Peter Alexander, Al Roker, Dylan Dreyer, Hoda Kotb, Jenna Bush Hager, Savannah Guthrie, Carson Daly, Laura Jarrett and Willie Geist are seen at the NBC "Today" Show at Rockefeller Plaza on January 10, 2025Credit: NDZ/Star Max/GC Images

Earlier in the week, Savannah visited Nancy's Tucson, Ariz. property alongside her sister Annie Guthrie and brother-in-law Tommaso Cioni on March 2. In a video obtained by NewsNation, the three were seen hugging one another as they looked at a tribute created near Nancy's mailbox and added yellow flowers to the display.

The same day, Savannah shared a new photo on social media featuring the many bouquets of flowers around Nancy's mailbox, writing in her caption, "We feel the love and prayers from our neighbors, from the Tucson community and from around the country 💛 please don't stop praying and hoping with us. bring her home."

Savannah Guthrie and her mother, Nancy Guthrie, on the 'Today' set in 2023.Credit: Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty

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Nancy was last seen going into her garage at 9:50 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 31. She was reported missing by her family at 12:03 p.m. local time on Feb. 1 when she failed to join friends to watch a virtual church service.

On Tuesday, Feb. 24, Savannah announced that the family was offering a reward of up to $1 million for any information leading to Nancy's recovery. The FBI's reward of $100,000 also remains active.

Savannah also shared that the family donated $500,000 to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Anyone with information about Nancy's disappearance is asked to please contact 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or the Pima County Sheriff's Department 520-351-4900.

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What Savannah Guthrie Told Her “Today” Colleagues During Emotional Reunion

What Savannah Guthrie Told Her "Today" Colleagues During Emotional Reunion Alex RossThu, March 5, 2026 at 6:...
New Photo - UN human rights chief to travel to Washington amid concerns over Middle East crisis

UN human rights chief to travel to Washington amid concerns over Middle East crisis ReutersFri, March 6, 2026 at 10:19 AM UTC 2 Volker Turk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, attends the Human Rights Council at the UN European headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, September 8, 2025. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse GENEVA, March 6 (Reuters) The United Nations human rights chief will travel ‌to Washington this month, he said ‌on Friday, but expressed doubt he could influence the ​development of the Middle East crisis amid mounting concerns. "I hope to go to Washington D.C.

UN human rights chief to travel to Washington amid concerns over Middle East crisis

ReutersFri, March 6, 2026 at 10:19 AM UTC

2

Volker Turk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, attends the Human Rights Council at the UN European headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, September 8, 2025. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse

GENEVA, March 6 (Reuters) - The United Nations human rights chief will travel ‌to Washington this month, he said ‌on Friday, but expressed doubt he could influence the ​development of the Middle East crisis amid mounting concerns.

"I hope to go to Washington D.C. later this month, and we will ‌see what ⁠this will bring," UN human rights chief Volker Turk told reporters ⁠in Geneva.

"We have obviously been in touch, but to be honest, I don't think ​it's in ​any way meaningful ​in terms of ‌influencing the current trajectory," he added.

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Turk urged international actors to rapidly de-escalate the regional conflict, now into its seventh day after U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran.

Israel said on Friday ‌it launched "broad-scale" air strikes ​on Iran's infrastructure. It ​also continued ​strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs, ‌which are under an evacuation order.

Large ​booms rang ​out across Tel Aviv and other parts of Israel as Israeli defence ​systems attempted ‌to intercept an Iranian rocket volley ​on Friday morning.

(Reporting by Olivia Le ​PoidevinEditing by Ludwig Burger)

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UN human rights chief to travel to Washington amid concerns over Middle East crisis

UN human rights chief to travel to Washington amid concerns over Middle East crisis ReutersFri, March 6, 2026 at 10...
New Photo - Will hurricane season 2026 be bad? Why experts are watching El Niño.

Will hurricane season 2026 be bad? Why experts are watching El Niño. Doyle Rice, USA TODAYFri, March 6, 2026 at 11:01 AM UTC 1 Like an oncoming ship on the distant horizon, the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season is steadily approaching. Now just over three months away, meteorologists are busy preparing their forecasts for the upcoming season, which begins June 1. And most eyes are on what's happening with the El Niño/La Niña cycle in the tropical Pacific Ocean.

Will hurricane season 2026 be bad? Why experts are watching El Niño.

Doyle Rice, USA TODAYFri, March 6, 2026 at 11:01 AM UTC

1

Like an oncoming ship on the distant horizon, the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season is steadily approaching.

Now just over three months away, meteorologists are busy preparing their forecasts for the upcoming season, which begins June 1. And most eyes are on what's happening with the El Niño/La Niña cycle in the tropical Pacific Ocean.

"The big question coming up for the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season is… will we get El Niño, and if we do, how strong will it be?," said Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach in an email to USA TODAY.

Simply put, if we get an El Niño as expected, the Atlantic season may be less active than average. "Overall I'd expect a little bit less activity this year, but how much less is to be determined," said associate scientist Andy Hazelton of the University of Miami in an email to USA TODAY.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the average Atlantic hurricane season between 1991 and 2020 featured about 14 named storms, of which seven were hurricanes. Of those seven hurricanes, three were major hurricanes (Category 3 and higher).

How might the looming El Niño impact the Atlantic hurricane season?

El Niño, a natural warming of the tropical Pacific Ocean, can have an huge impact on the severity of the Atlantic hurricane season.

"Typically, El Niño leads to more rising air over the tropical Pacific, which then leads to stronger upper-level wind shear and sinking air across the tropical Atlantic," Hazelton said. "This usually reduces the number of hurricanes in the Atlantic, especially in the Caribbean and Gulf."

However, he said we've seen El Niño years where the Atlantic was very warm, and that offset some of the El Niño effects. 2023 was a good example, he added.

But an El Niño is no guarantee of a quiet season: "You can get major hurricane impacts during El Niño seasons. For example, the last 3 category 5 hurricanes to hit the U.S. (Camille 1969, Andrew 1992, and Michael 2018) all occurred during hurricane seasons as the ocean was transitioning to weak El Niño conditions," Hazelton said.

1 / 0Category 5 Hurricane Melissa slams Jamaica: See the aftermath of catastrophic winds, rain

Hurricane Melissa hit the southwestern coast of Jamaica around 1 p.m. ET Tuesday with catastrophic winds speeds of about 185 mph after churning slowly toward the island nation. The hurricane center said Melissa's landfall is one of the most powerful in the Atlantic Basin's recorded history. As the storm's center moved across western Jamaica to its northern coast, Melissa became a Category 4 storm with winds of 145 mph and torrential rainfall that caused flash flooding and life-threatening storm surge, the hurricane center said.A police officer inspects a car damaged by a fallen tree after the passage of Hurricane Melissa.

How likely is an El Niño?

NOAA's latest odds are pretty aggressive for moving away from La Niña quite quickly, with a 60% chance of neutral conditions by the February-April average (so probably the next few weeks), Klotzbach said.

Klotzbach added that upper-ocean heat content anomalies have really increased in recent weeks in the eastern/central tropical Pacific. "This often portends a transition away from La Niña to neutral (and possibly El Nino conditions)."

Looking toward the heart of the hurricane season, NOAA's latest outlook gives a 59% chance of El Niño for August - October.

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Typical influence of El Niño on Pacific and Atlantic seasonal hurricane activity.What other factors will affect the hurricane season?

Although the status of El Niño/La Niña is an important factor in the hurricane season, it's not the only one. Hazelton said that Atlantic water temperatures, particularly in the so-called "Main Development Region" in the Caribbean Sea and east of the Antilles, will be important.

"Right now it is near average there overall. If that region warms a lot, we may see the Atlantic 'fight back' against the developing El Nino, but if it doesn't, the Pacific may be in the driver's seat this season (in the form of El Nino)," Klotzbach said.

Klotzbach also pointed out that "the tropical Atlantic certainly is in a cooler state (thankfully!) then it has been the past couple of years at this point."

Hazelton added that it's also worth keeping an eye on Africa: A stronger African monsoon can offset some of the effects of El Niño and produce hurricanes in the east Atlantic, as we saw in 2015 and 2018-2019.

A satellite view of the eye of Hurricane Melissa on the morning of Oct. 28, 2025, south of Jamaica. Its peak estimated winds at the surface were estimated at 185 mph.Could El Niño impact the eastern or central Pacific hurricane seasons?

Yes, El Niño tends to lead to more active Pacific seasons, though the details of where the warmest water sets up (eastern vs. central Pacific) may determine which basin is most above normal, Hazelton said.

Eastern Pacific hurricanes tend to stay out to sea and seldom impact the United States, except their remnants can soak the Southwest. Central Pacific hurricanes can impact Hawaii.

More: Hurricane Melissa now tied for strongest winds in an Atlantic storm

Still early for a hurricane forecast

"It is really early for a seasonal hurricane forecast," Klotzbach told USA TODAY. "One of the reasons why we don't put out a forecast in the February/March timeframe is because during the late winter/early spring, you can get really big changes in the atmosphere/ocean system," he said.

Klotzbach's team at Colorado State University will issue their first forecast for the season on April 9. Other forecasts will follow, including NOAA's, which comes out in late May.

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.

Doyle Rice is a national correspondent for USA TODAY, with a focus on weather and climate.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hurricane season 2026 forecast developing as forecasters watch El Niño

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Will hurricane season 2026 be bad? Why experts are watching El Niño.

Will hurricane season 2026 be bad? Why experts are watching El Niño. Doyle Rice, USA TODAYFri, March 6, 2026 at 11:01 A...

 

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