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last mo.

Atlantic Season Reaches New Record Without a Hurricane

Scientists say a powerful El Niño has strengthened upper‑level winds over the tropical Atlantic, cutting off storm growth.

FILE - Connor Hughes and Kaylee Swenson walk through floodwaters from the Alafia River caused by Hurricane Milton, Oct. 11, 2024, in Lithia, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, File)
FILE - Boats sit on dry ground as water levels have dropped on the Danube River in Petrovaradin, Serbia, Aug. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic, File)
FILE - Waves roll in from the Gulf of Mexico toward lots where only empty foundations and debris remain after homes were swept away in Hurricane Milton on Manasota Key in Englewood, Fla., Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)
Janny Vancedarfield sits in front of the debris that was once his house in Florida City, Florida, on September 1, 1992, after it was destroyed by Hurricane Andrew.

Overview

  • The basin has produced no hurricanes through mid‑September, with the Sept. 12 mark setting the latest first hurricane in the satellite era.
  • Researchers link the lull mainly to record‑strong vertical wind shear driven by El Niño, which rips apart nascent storms by changing wind speed and direction with height.
  • Saharan dust, dry mid‑level air and fewer convective seeds have combined with the wind shear to suppress development; accumulated cyclone energy is at a post‑1950 low and only five short‑lived tropical storms have formed so far.
  • The same El Niño has boosted activity in the eastern and central Pacific, producing many more named storms and impacts as far west as Hawaii.
  • Forecasters urge caution because the National Hurricane Center sees no development in the next week but late‑season Gulf or near‑U.S. storms remain possible and some private models still project a modest uptick later this season.