A new hurricane season record will be set this week as a historic and still strengthening El Niño stifles tropical development in the Atlantic.
To date, no hurricanes have formed in the basin, despite this week marking the peak of the season on average – and there’s no sign of development in the near future.
It means a new record will be set for the latest date in the satellite era (1960s onward) without an Atlantic hurricane forming.
Currently, the record is September 11, set in 2002 and 2013.
In an average season, there would have been eight named tropical storms and three hurricanes by this point.
This year, however, there have only been five tropical storms: Arthur, Bertha, Cristobal, Dolly and Edouard.
With few indications that there will be any development in the next week, this will mean the longest stretch into a season where no hurricane has formed in the modern satellite era.
In the eastern Pacific, where El Niño tends to strengthen hurricane activity, it has been a fairly active season so far.
There have been 13 named storms including five hurricanes, three of which were major.
This is close to the number that would typically develop in the whole of an average season.
The latest, major hurricane Lowell, hit Hawaii this week with damaging winds, flooding rain and high waves.
Forecasters predicted the Atlantic hurricane season would be quieter than average.
In May, the National Hurricane Centre forecast a total of eight to 14 named storms, three to six of which would become hurricanes, including one to three major hurricanes.
The reason for this below-average forecast is El Niño. (BBC)
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