Scientists Have Never Seen 3 Hurricanes Line Up Like This

Scientists say it's a triple threat like nothing they've observed before: three hurricanes lined up in the Atlantic basin, all poised to make landfall on the same day. Irma, Jose, and Katia are all churning in the area, with Irma expected to hit the Bahamas as a Category 5 storm Saturday—the same day Jose threatens to hit the northern Leeward Islands as a Category 3 storm and Katia is expected to make landfall in Mexico as a Category 2 or 3 storm, reports the National Post. The last time there were three active hurricanes was 2010, when there was another IJK trio, Igor, Julia, and Karl, on satellite images, though Julia never threatened land, reports Quartz.

National Hurricane Center specialist Eric Blake tweeted Thursday: "3 hurricanes threatening land simultaneously in the W Atlantic Basin. Never seen anything like this in the modern record." Scientists say climate change is making hurricanes more powerful because warmer waters give hurricanes strength—and this year has turned out to have optimal hurricane conditions, including a lack of sudden wind shifts. CNN reports that if Jose does make landfall in the Leeward Islands, it will make things even tougher for people on Barbuda, the island devastated by Irma this week. The NHC issued a hurricane warning for Antigua and Barbuda Thursday morning, just 24 hours after the one for Irma expired. (More Hurricane Irma stories.)