Record-setting Atlantic hurricane season kicking into overdrive
By
Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Sep 10, 2020 4:05 PM EST
|
Updated Sep 13, 2020 4:23 AM EST
The extremely active Atlantic hurricane season is kicking into overdrive. As many as five named tropical systems could be churning through the Atlantic at the same time by the middle of September, forecasters warned, and more records could be on the line in what is shaping up to be a historic season.
So far in the 2020 season, Cristobal and every storm from Edouard through Rene all became the earliest storm to develop in the basin for their respective letters. That trend of early formation records continued with the formation of Tropical Storm Sally off the coast of South Florida. The current early-season record holders for the letters T through W were all set in October 2005, but many or all of these may be replaced prior to the end of September.
Paulette and Rene can be seen swirling in the center of this early Saturday morning, Sept. 12, 2020, satellite image. A new tropical depression near South Florida (left of center) and tropical waves off the west coast of Africa (right of center) can also be seen. (CIRA at Colorado State / GOES-East)
On Saturday afternoon, Tropical Depression 20 formed out in the Atlantic, with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph.
With the development of Sally and Tropical Depression 20, there could be up to five tropical cyclones spinning simultaneously in the Atlantic, an unusual occurrence that has not occurred since Sept. 10-12, 1971.
The next name on the list of tropical storms for 2020 is Teddy, followed by Vicky and Wilfred.
There is a chance Tropical Depression 20 could take a general westerly path across the islands of the northern Caribbean by late this week to next weekend.
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And even more disturbances were already in queue behind the first wave. "As of Thursday morning, there were as many as four tropical waves moving westward across Africa," AccuWeather's top hurricane expert Dan Kottlowski said.
Any one of these can develop as they move over the warm waters of the Atlantic in the coming days, depending on the amount of available moisture versus the amount of disruptive winds.
And far out in the Atlantic wasn't the only region forecasters are busy monitoring in the basin.
Tropical Storm Sally is expected to strengthen to a hurricane in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico early this week.
Another disturbance, already over the north-central Gulf of Mexico, could slowly strengthen as it drifts west-southwestward over bath-warm waters early this week.
Meanwhile, Paulette recently strengthened to a hurricane on its track toward Bermuda.
Farther east, Rene lost wind strength on Saturday and was downgraded to a tropical depression as it lingers over the middle of the Atlantic.
Into early week, Rene may enter a zone of increasing wind shear, which would cause the system to weaken further. At this time, Rene is only anticipated to be a concern for shipping.
There have been as many as three hurricanes spinning at the same time in the Atlantic as recently as 2018 with Florence, Isaac and Helene, as well as 2017 with Katia, Irma and Jose.
Katia, Irma and Jose, all hurricanes, pictured in a satellite image from Sept. 7, 2017. (NASA Worldview)
The record for simultaneous hurricanes in the Atlantic is four. Georges, Karl, Jeanne and Ivan all spun in the basin at the same time from Sept. 25-27, 1998.
Hurricanes Georges, Karl, Jeanne and Ivan seen spinning in the Atlantic on a satellite loop from Sept. 25-27, 1998. (NOAA)
Four hurricanes also churned Atlantic waters on Aug. 22, 1893, and one made a deadly strike in Georgia and South Carolina. The lives of 1,000 to 2,000 people were claimed by the hurricane.
Once the English alphabet is exhausted for this season with Wilfred being the last name on the list, the Greek alphabet will be utilized for only the second time ever. The first time was during the 2005 season when there were 28 named storms. The 2020 season has the potential to rival that record with its current hyperactive state that is likely to continue through much of the remainder of the season.
The Atlantic hurricane season officially ends on Nov. 30, but there could be a storm or two in December, given the recent official development of La Niña conditions over the tropical Pacific.
La Niña is part of a routine fluctuation in sea surface temperatures over the tropical Pacific, called the El Niño Southern Oscillation. In the La Niña, or cool water phase over the tropical Pacific, waters in the Atlantic tend to run warmer than average, which leads to more rising air and more moisture over a large part of the basin. In this mode, westerly winds tend to blow less forcefully over the Atlantic, which can allow more tropical storms to form. Plus, storms can sustain for longer and become stronger than average in this pattern.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo
News / Hurricane
Record-setting Atlantic hurricane season kicking into overdrive
By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Sep 10, 2020 4:05 PM EST | Updated Sep 13, 2020 4:23 AM EST
The extremely active Atlantic hurricane season is kicking into overdrive. As many as five named tropical systems could be churning through the Atlantic at the same time by the middle of September, forecasters warned, and more records could be on the line in what is shaping up to be a historic season.
So far in the 2020 season, Cristobal and every storm from Edouard through Rene all became the earliest storm to develop in the basin for their respective letters. That trend of early formation records continued with the formation of Tropical Storm Sally off the coast of South Florida. The current early-season record holders for the letters T through W were all set in October 2005, but many or all of these may be replaced prior to the end of September.
Paulette and Rene can be seen swirling in the center of this early Saturday morning, Sept. 12, 2020, satellite image. A new tropical depression near South Florida (left of center) and tropical waves off the west coast of Africa (right of center) can also be seen. (CIRA at Colorado State / GOES-East)
On Saturday afternoon, Tropical Depression 20 formed out in the Atlantic, with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph.
With the development of Sally and Tropical Depression 20, there could be up to five tropical cyclones spinning simultaneously in the Atlantic, an unusual occurrence that has not occurred since Sept. 10-12, 1971.
The next name on the list of tropical storms for 2020 is Teddy, followed by Vicky and Wilfred.
There is a chance Tropical Depression 20 could take a general westerly path across the islands of the northern Caribbean by late this week to next weekend.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
And even more disturbances were already in queue behind the first wave. "As of Thursday morning, there were as many as four tropical waves moving westward across Africa," AccuWeather's top hurricane expert Dan Kottlowski said.
Any one of these can develop as they move over the warm waters of the Atlantic in the coming days, depending on the amount of available moisture versus the amount of disruptive winds.
And far out in the Atlantic wasn't the only region forecasters are busy monitoring in the basin.
Related:
Tropical Storm Sally is expected to strengthen to a hurricane in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico early this week.
Another disturbance, already over the north-central Gulf of Mexico, could slowly strengthen as it drifts west-southwestward over bath-warm waters early this week.
Meanwhile, Paulette recently strengthened to a hurricane on its track toward Bermuda.
Farther east, Rene lost wind strength on Saturday and was downgraded to a tropical depression as it lingers over the middle of the Atlantic.
Into early week, Rene may enter a zone of increasing wind shear, which would cause the system to weaken further. At this time, Rene is only anticipated to be a concern for shipping.
There have been as many as three hurricanes spinning at the same time in the Atlantic as recently as 2018 with Florence, Isaac and Helene, as well as 2017 with Katia, Irma and Jose.
Katia, Irma and Jose, all hurricanes, pictured in a satellite image from Sept. 7, 2017. (NASA Worldview)
The record for simultaneous hurricanes in the Atlantic is four. Georges, Karl, Jeanne and Ivan all spun in the basin at the same time from Sept. 25-27, 1998.
Hurricanes Georges, Karl, Jeanne and Ivan seen spinning in the Atlantic on a satellite loop from Sept. 25-27, 1998. (NOAA)
Four hurricanes also churned Atlantic waters on Aug. 22, 1893, and one made a deadly strike in Georgia and South Carolina. The lives of 1,000 to 2,000 people were claimed by the hurricane.
Once the English alphabet is exhausted for this season with Wilfred being the last name on the list, the Greek alphabet will be utilized for only the second time ever. The first time was during the 2005 season when there were 28 named storms. The 2020 season has the potential to rival that record with its current hyperactive state that is likely to continue through much of the remainder of the season.
The Atlantic hurricane season officially ends on Nov. 30, but there could be a storm or two in December, given the recent official development of La Niña conditions over the tropical Pacific.
La Niña is part of a routine fluctuation in sea surface temperatures over the tropical Pacific, called the El Niño Southern Oscillation. In the La Niña, or cool water phase over the tropical Pacific, waters in the Atlantic tend to run warmer than average, which leads to more rising air and more moisture over a large part of the basin. In this mode, westerly winds tend to blow less forcefully over the Atlantic, which can allow more tropical storms to form. Plus, storms can sustain for longer and become stronger than average in this pattern.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo