Tropical update: Quiet week, let's talk records so far!

After a month of monitoring the tropics with the last three consecutive hurricanes, we have great news! For the first time this month, the tropics are quiet.

This week will also remain quiet in the tropics are there is no tropical activity expected in the next five days.

The end of October got busy and fast! Lisa formed and intensified as a hurricane, then it was Hurricane Martin that stayed over the northern Atlantic, and finally, Hurricane Nicole which made landfall last week. These three formations tied the 2001 record for the most formations in November. Coincidently, the last hurricane that made landfall in the Bahamas was Michelle in 2001.

Nicole broke many records. It was the latest hurricane, in a calendar year to make landfall on the east coast of Florida on record. The last hurricane to land on the east coast of Florida was the Yankee Hurricane of 1935. And if we zoom out, it was the second latest calendar hurricane to hit the continental US, after Hurricane Kate in 1985, which also made landfall in Florida but in Mexico Beach on November 21.

It's been a busy last 7 years. As Dr. Klotzbach, a meteorologist and tropical expert from Colorado State University, since 2016 we’ve had at least 2 hurricanes making landfall in the continental U.S. The 2020 hyperactive season stands out with 6 hurricanes making landfall in the lower 48: Hanna, Isaias, Sally, Delta, and Zeta. This year it’s been Ian and Nicole, both in Florida.