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When regional climate experts gathered in Nassau, The Bahamas for the 2026 Wet/Hurricane Season Caribbean Climate Outlook Forum (CariCOF), one leading climatologist delivered a stark message: a quieter hurricane season does not equal a low-risk year for Caribbean nations. Leading Caribbean climatologist Dr. Cedric Van Meerbeeck told attendees that current climate projections point to a below-average 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, but the underlying weather patterns driving this trend also create a suite of other dangerous climate hazards that communities must prepare for immediately.

Dr. Van Meerbeeck’s forecast is rooted in the projected return of a strong El Niño climate pattern across the tropical Pacific, a well-documented phenomenon that alters global atmospheric circulation to suppress the formation of Atlantic hurricanes. Current projections call for approximately five hurricanes to form across the Atlantic basin in 2026, with just two reaching Category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale — numbers that fall below the long-term seasonal average for the region. But El Niño’s impacts stretch far beyond reducing hurricane numbers, and the climatologist emphasized that the pattern amplifies a range of other extreme weather threats that are often overlooked in seasonal outlooks.

One of the most significant underdiscussed risks this year will be unstable, erratic weather patterns across the Caribbean, Dr. Van Meerbeeck explained. Even with fewer named storms overall, the region faces an elevated chance of intense, short-duration rainfall events that can trigger catastrophic flash flooding, paired with prolonged, record-breaking heat waves that strain public health systems and infrastructure.

Compounding these risks is the fact that sea surface temperatures across the northern Caribbean — encompassing island nations including The Bahamas, Cuba, and Jamaica — are already running well above long-term averages. These warm waters can act as a fuel source for any storm that does form, amplifying its intensity and rainfall output even if the overall number of storms is lower than usual.

Water security is another critical concern for the coming year, the climatologist noted. While the upcoming wet season is expected to bring enough rainfall to ease long-standing drought conditions in some parts of the region, that temporary relief will likely not be enough to reverse chronic water deficits that could lead to shortages later in 2026. To address this gap, Dr. Van Meerbeeck issued a clear call to action for Caribbean governments: invest in expanding water storage infrastructure and update drought preparedness plans now, while rainy conditions are providing an opportunity to build up reserves.

Public health risks linked to extreme heat will also be amplified by El Niño, particularly for the region’s most vulnerable populations. Prolonged high temperatures, paired with unseasonably warm overnight temperatures that prevent the body from cooling down after hot days, pose a severe threat to elderly residents, young children, and people with pre-existing health conditions.

In closing, Dr. Van Meerbeeck stressed that communities across the region must abandon the misconception that a below-average hurricane season means widespread safety. Even one major hurricane hitting a Caribbean island or coastal community is enough to wipe out crops, destroy critical infrastructure including roads and water systems, disrupt livelihoods, and cause billions of dollars in damage that can set back national economies for years. As the season approaches, proactive preparation across all hazard types, not just hurricane preparedness, will be critical to reducing harm and protecting communities.

In a press announcement from Washington D.C. this Thursday, the United States has committed an additional $80 million in emergency funding to ramp up the global response to the spiraling Ebola outbreak spreading across the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and neighboring Uganda.

This new injection of resources brings the total American financial contribution to containment efforts to $112 million since the outbreak was first formally declared in mid-May, according to official statements from the US State Department. The allocated funding is earmarked for critical on-the-ground needs: it will cover the cost of personal protective equipment for frontline healthcare workers operating in high-risk zones, expanded border screening protocols across regional transit points, the distribution of rapid diagnostic test kits, and other urgent response requirements.

“The United States Government continues to carry out a comprehensive, coordinated strategy to contain this Ebola outbreak at its source, both to protect American citizens at home and stop further cross-border spread across the globe,” the State Department’s release noted. This pledge follows a commitment from Secretary of State Marco Rubio a day prior, who stated that the administration’s top priority is blocking the importation of Ebola into US territory.

The outbreak has already taken a severe toll on local communities: the World Health Organization (WHO) has documented 10 confirmed deaths and 223 suspected fatalities across the DRC, out of more than 1,000 combined confirmed and suspected cases recorded since May 15. Public health experts widely warn that the actual scope of the outbreak is far larger than official numbers reflect, due to limited surveillance and access to affected remote areas.

The Trump administration’s handling of the crisis has drawn sharp pushback in recent weeks from congressional Democrats and global public health non-governmental organizations. Critics point to the administration’s earlier decision to withdraw the US from the WHO and restructure and downsize key programs within the US Agency for International Development (USAID) as actions that have weakened global capacity to respond rapidly to emerging infectious disease threats, leaving the current response under-resourced in its critical early stages.

In the wake of an expanding Ebola outbreak centered in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a controversial plan by the United States to construct a dedicated quarantine facility for its citizens in Kenya has sparked legal action, public health concerns, and constitutional debate across the East African nation.

On Thursday, the Nairobi-based Kenyan human rights organization Katiba Institute confirmed it had submitted a formal court petition to block the project entirely. The petition demands not only that the facility be prevented from commencing operations but also that authorities ban any entry of individuals potentially exposed to the Ebola virus through this program, according to statements from the group.

The rights organization has leveled sharp criticism at the opaque process behind the facility’s development, saying the project was advanced unilaterally and without public transparency. This lack of consultation, Katiba Institute argues, violates core tenets of Kenya’s constitution and creates unacceptable risks for the country’s population.

A senior U.S. administration official has previously framed the project as a public health safety measure, describing the planned site as a modern, “state-of-the-art” facility intended to house U.S. citizens for quarantine after they exit the DRC, which has been grappling with the ongoing outbreak since it was declared in mid-May.

The plan has also drawn concern from top African public health leadership. Jean Kaseya, director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), warned during a recent press briefing that the facility could place unplanned, additional strain on Kenya’s already stretched national health system. “Adding an international quarantine responsibility for foreign nationals could stretch their national capacities… If it’s not well supported by additional resources,” Kaseya explained, highlighting the risk of overburdening local infrastructure without sufficient backing.

Nora Mbagathi, executive director of Katiba Institute, emphasized the core motivations behind the legal challenge, saying, “The case is about preserving constitutional accountability, protecting public health and ensuring that no government may place expediency above the lives and safety of the people of Kenya.”

To date, Kenya has implemented mandatory Ebola testing for all incoming travelers from affected regions, and has not recorded any confirmed cases linked to the current outbreak within its borders. Uganda, which shares borders with both the DRC and Kenya, has already documented at least seven cases of the virus.

Kenya’s Ministry of Health has not issued a formal direct response to questions about the proposed facility, only stating broadly that the country is open to collaboration with international partners, including the United States.

Current data from the World Health Organization puts the outbreak’s toll at more than 1,000 combined confirmed and suspected cases, with 10 confirmed deaths and 223 suspected fatalities. Complicating response efforts, the outbreak is driven by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which no licensed vaccine or targeted treatment currently exists.