Tropics may ramp up soon as Atlantic hurricane season enters next phase
August typically brings an uptick in tropical activity across the Atlantic, Gulf and Caribbean, and 2025 may follow that pattern.
The term “tropical rainstorm” was first implemented by AccuWeather and is meant to highlight the lingering dangerous impacts of a tropical system, including life-threatening flooding and tornadoes.
Tropical activity in the Atlantic may start to ramp up soon as hurricane season prepares to shift into a higher gear.
The Atlantic hurricane season officially begins on June 1, but historically, there’s a noticeable uptick in storms around the start of August. The climatological peak of the season is Sept. 10.
So far this year, three tropical storms have developed. Andrea was short-lived, spinning over the open Atlantic in mid-June. Barry became the first to impact land, moving into Mexico on June 29. Most recently, Chantal made landfall in South Carolina on July 6 and caused deadly flooding.
"The 2025 Atlantic Hurricane season has been off to a relatively fast start so far, with three named storms in the basin," AccuWeather Meteorologist Elizabeth Danco said. "The historical average for formation of the third named storm is early August."
The fourth named storm usually forms by around mid-August, and in 2025 it will be given the name Dexter.
What will the rest of the Atlantic hurricane season bring?
Between 13 and 18 named storms are expected in 2025, including 7-10 hurricanes, three to five major hurricanes that reach Category 3 strength or higher, and three to six direct U.S. impacts. These numbers include the three tropical storms that have already formed.
AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva is particularly concerned about how quickly storms could strengthen this year, fueled by exceptionally warm waters in the Gulf, Caribbean and the open Atlantic. That environment increases the risk of dangerous rapid intensification as storms approach land.
This has become a growing trend in recent years. Hurricane Ian was one of the most devastating examples, rapidly intensifying from a Category 3 to a Category 5 storm as it tracked toward Florida in 2022. More recently, Hurricane Helene strengthened from a Category 2 to a Category 4 as it approached the Southeast in 2024, ultimately becoming the most powerful storm on record to strike Florida’s Big Bend region before unleashing biblical flooding in the Carolinas.
Experts recommend that residents along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts review their hurricane preparedness plans now and stock up on supplies before a storm approaches.
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