The Atlantic Ocean is experiencing an unusually quiet hurricane season, with no hurricanes forming even as the season reaches its typical peak week. Weather forecasters say a new record is likely to be set this week for the latest date without a hurricane in the modern satellite era, which began in the 1960s.
The main reason for this peaceful period is a historic and strengthening El Niño weather pattern. El Niño stifles tropical development in the Atlantic by creating atmospheric conditions that disrupt storm formation, preventing weak systems from growing into full hurricanes.
This quiet period is very unusual compared to historical averages. In a typical season, the Atlantic basin would have already seen eight named tropical storms and three hurricanes by mid-September. This year, however, there have only been five named tropical storms—Arthur, Bertha, Cristobal, Dolly, and Edouard—and zero hurricanes.
Currently, the record for the latest date without an Atlantic hurricane forming is September 11, set in both 2002 and 2013. With no signs of tropical storm development expected in the coming week, this season is likely to mark the longest stretch into a year without a hurricane since satellite record-keeping began.