Atlantic Sets Post-1966 Record With 0 Hurricanes by Sept. 9 as El Niño Suppresses Storms
Updated
Updated · The Boston Globe · Sep 12
Atlantic Sets Post-1966 Record With 0 Hurricanes by Sept. 9 as El Niño Suppresses Storms
3 articles · Updated · The Boston Globe · Sep 12
Summary
Zero Atlantic hurricanes had formed by Sept. 9, the latest first-hurricane date in the satellite era, breaking the previous Sept. 11 record and leaving the basin with only five named storms.
A strengthening Super El Niño is the main brake on development, driving hostile wind shear; Saharan dust and cooler waters in the Atlantic main development region have further weakened storms.
Atlantic Accumulated Cyclone Energy stood at a record-low 4.4—more than 90% below normal—while the Eastern Pacific had already produced 16 storms, including six hurricanes and four major ones.
Forecasters still expect the season to wake up before Nov. 30: NOAA sees 2 to 6 hurricanes, and Jeff Masters puts the chance of at least one Atlantic hurricane this year at 80%.
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?