Atlantic Basin Nears First Hurricane Record After 11 September as El Niño Suppresses Storms
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Sep 10
Atlantic Basin Nears First Hurricane Record After 11 September as El Niño Suppresses Storms
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Sep 10
Summary
No Atlantic hurricanes had formed by the season’s Sept. 10 peak, putting 2026 on track to break the satellite-era record of going past Sept. 11 without one.
Five tropical storms have formed so far—Arthur, Bertha, Cristobal, Dolly and Edouard—versus an average of eight named storms and three hurricanes by this point.
Historic-strength El Niño has boosted upper-level wind shear over the Atlantic, disrupting storm organization, while a broad plume of Saharan dust is expected to keep conditions quiet for at least another week.
The contrast is showing up in the eastern Pacific, where 13 named storms and five hurricanes have already formed; major Hurricane Lowell struck Hawaii this week.
NOAA has said this El Niño could be one of the strongest since 1950, reinforcing forecasts for a quieter-than-average Atlantic season that still runs through Nov. 30.
As the Atlantic shatters records for hurricane inactivity this September, could a sudden late-season monster storm still catch coastal cities off guard?
While El Niño crushes Atlantic hurricanes, is the unusually violent Eastern Pacific season a dark warning for global weather extremes?
What hidden atmospheric forces are combining with El Niño to completely paralyze Atlantic hurricane formation this September?