Despite high ocean temperatures, hurricane season has surprisingly hit a lull, with no tropical cyclone activity expected for at least a week. This is unexpected given the warm temperatures in the Atlantic and the potential for La Niña to influence storm formation. The Gulf of Mexico is experiencing the highest ocean heat content since 2013, providing plenty of fuel for hurricanes to intensify rapidly. However, scientists believe that weather patterns off the coast of West Africa may have prevented storms from developing into tropical systems in the Atlantic basin.
Despite the current quiet period, hurricane season is expected to ramp back up, with the unofficial peak on Sept. 10. Researchers anticipate a potentially backloaded season, with increased activity in September and October. Even though there have already been two U.S. hurricane landfalls, this season is considered quite active compared to average years. The Atlantic has seen record-breaking storms, with Hurricane Beryl becoming the first Category 4 storm in June and Hurricane Debby causing significant rainfall over some Southeastern states in August. Overall, scientists are closely monitoring the situation and are prepared for the potential for increased activity as hurricane season progresses.
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