Atlantic Hurricane Season Sees Its Quietest Start on Record

For the first time in the modern record, the Atlantic hurricane season has gone this long without a single hurricane forming, according to Scientific American, as forecasters point to El Nino as a key factor suppressing tropical storm development.

El Nino, a climate pattern marked by warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the eastern Pacific Ocean, tends to increase wind shear over the Atlantic basin, a condition that disrupts the formation and strengthening of tropical storms into hurricanes. While El Nino's dampening effect on Atlantic hurricane activity is well documented, meteorologists say its impact this season has exceeded most forecasts issued earlier in the year.

The Atlantic hurricane season officially runs from June through November, with activity historically peaking in September. A season this far along without a hurricane forming is considered highly unusual, given that recent decades have generally seen above-average or near-average hurricane activity linked to warmer ocean temperatures.

Scientists caution that a quiet start does not guarantee a quiet season overall, since conditions can shift in the final weeks before the season closes. Sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic remain elevated, and forecasters continue to monitor the basin for signs of tropical development as El Nino's influence evolves.

The lull offers a reprieve for coastal communities in the United States, the Caribbean and Central America that have faced repeated hurricane strikes in recent years, though officials continue to urge residents to remain prepared through the remainder of the season.