The Atlantic hurricane season is almost halfway over and there have already been eight named storms. Half of the storms came in this week’s burst of activity.
Currently, there is only one tropical cyclone in the Atlantic but that will certainly change.
The season began on June 1st and ends on November 30th, but it started right on schedule when a Tropical Depression formed in the Gulf of Mexico and eventually became Tropical Storm Arlene. This came after a rare January No-Name tropical storm.
In total eight systems have formed since June 1st, all tropical Storms with the exception of Tropical Storm Don which briefly became a weak hurricane in the central North Atlantic for a few hours.
The total numbers compare with a slightly above normal year compared to five through August 23 on average.
But the busiest part of the hurricane season typically arrives next month.
The peak day for hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean is September 10th. This is the day when the Atlantic hurricane season is statistically most active, with the highest chance of a tropical cyclone forming.
September brings more activity from farther out in the main development region of the Atlantic. This breeds the majority of the strongest Category 3 through 5 hurricanes.
Fortunately, the tropical cyclones have all been weak. Assessing all storm’s total combined energy, it is below average due to the short duration and lower then hurricane force windspeeds.
Hopefully, we get through the remainder months unscathed.