Atlantic Logs 0 Hurricanes So Far in 2026 as El Niño and Stable Air Suppress Storms
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Sep 16
Atlantic Logs 0 Hurricanes So Far in 2026 as El Niño and Stable Air Suppress Storms
3 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Sep 16
Summary
Zero Atlantic hurricanes have formed so far in 2026, putting the basin on a path toward a feat seen only in 1907 and 1914 in 175 years of records.
Record El Niño winds, unusually dry air and Saharan dust have stunted storms, while tropical Atlantic atmospheric stability has been a key extra brake on development.
That stability reflects the second-smallest lower-to-upper troposphere temperature gap on record since 1940, making it harder for rising air and thunderstorms to organize into hurricanes.
Researchers say the same pattern may be delaying the season’s peak beyond the usual Sept. 10, pushing more activity into October and November even as the Caribbean faces drought.
If that later-season shift persists, forecasters say East Coast hurricane risk could change because a stronger autumn jet stream is more likely to steer storms out to sea.