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2026 Atlantic hurricane season: Record lack of hurricanes

Updated 12 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-09-15 10:14 UTC → 2026-09-17 04:41 UTC · added removed

By mid-September 2026, the Atlantic hurricane season has reached a historic milestone for inactivity. As of September 12, 14, the basin has failed to produce a single hurricane, setting a 60-year record in the satellite era for the latest start to a hurricane season. This surpasses the previous records established in 2002 and 2013. Some analyses suggest this quiet period may be If the trend continues, it could mark the first of its kind time since at least 1941. 1851 that the month of September passes without a single named tropical storm. To date, only five named storms have been recorded—Arthur, Bertha, Cristóbal, Dolly, and Edouard—none of which have reached hurricane strength. Current activity levels are estimated at just 7% The National Hurricane Center is currently monitoring a disturbance southeast of Bermuda with a 40% chance of developing into a tropical storm, potentially named Fay, within the seasonal average. While next seven days. NOAA is also watching for potential formation north of the Atlantic remains unusually quiet, Bahamas toward the eastern Pacific has experienced significant activity, including 13 named storms and five hurricanes. end of the month. Meteorologists attribute this unusual calm to a powerful El Niño pattern, pattern and dry Saharan dust, which creates create a ‘triple whammy’ threat’ of atmospheric conditions: high wind shear that disrupts storm organization, shear, dry air that starves systems, air, and downward-pushing winds. NOAA Expert Michael Lowry noted that a more stable atmosphere has forecasted below-normal activity for the Atlantic basin this year. made vertical air movement difficult, preventing storm formation. Despite the lull, experts warn against complacency. Phil Klotzbach of Colorado State University and other meteorologists note that even in quiet years, single storms can cause catastrophic damage, citing the 1992 season as a historical precedent where devastating hurricanes arrived late in temperature difference between the season. Additionally, forecasters are monitoring upper and lower atmosphere is at its second-lowest level since 1940. This could cause activity to shift to later in the Mediterranean Sea for year, potentially resulting in more destructive storms. In the potential development 175-year history of a ‘Medicane’—a Mediterranean hurricane that, while typically less intense than recorded Atlantic systems, can produce wind speeds comparable to a Category 2 storm. seasons, the only years without any hurricanes were 1907 and 1914.

Versions

  1. 2026-09-17 04:41 UTC 2026 Atlantic hurricane season: Record lack of hurricanes
  2. 2026-09-15 10:14 UTC 2026 Atlantic hurricane season: Record lack of hurricanes
  3. 2026-09-13 18:36 UTC 2026 Atlantic hurricane season: Record lack of hurricanes
  4. 2026-09-11 09:37 UTC 2026 Atlantic hurricane season: Record lack of hurricanes
  5. 2026-09-05 23:21 UTC 2026 Atlantic hurricane season outlook – September Update
  6. 2026-08-29 08:19 UTC 2026 Atlantic hurricane season outlook – August Update
  7. 2026-08-13 00:32 UTC 2026 Atlantic hurricane season outlook – August Update
  8. 2026-08-09 19:14 UTC 2026 Atlantic hurricane season outlook – August Update
  9. 2026-08-07 11:45 UTC 2026 Atlantic hurricane season outlook – Early August
  10. 2026-08-05 20:02 UTC 2026 Atlantic hurricane season outlook – Early August
  11. 2026-08-05 19:25 UTC 2026 Atlantic hurricane season outlook – Early August
  12. 2026-08-05 04:05 UTC 2026 Atlantic hurricane season outlook – August update
  13. 2026-07-27 11:09 UTC 2026 Atlantic hurricane season outlook – July update

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