First a major storm – hurricane season exceptionally calm

Typically, the Atlantic hurricane season reaches its peak in early to mid-September. This year, however, it has been unusually calm. There has not been a single tropical storm since the end of August, and none are forecast in the near future.

This season, there has only been one hurricane in the Atlantic so far: ERIN. On average, there are four by this point in the season.

Despite the current calm, the danger is not over: several storms could still develop in the second half of September, aided by very warm water in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean.

This was last the case in 2022, when a calm phase quickly turned into an intense period of storms.