Will there be any Atlantic tropical storms in August?
No new tropical development is expected across the basin through the first week in August, AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alexander DaSilva said.
While it’s already been busy in the Pacific this summer, there haven’t been many tropical systems to talk about in the Atlantic. But AccuWeather forecasters say a lot can change in August.
If August has no named tropical storms or hurricanes in the Atlantic, it would mark only the fourth time since 1961. The hurricane season has been quiet since Tropical Storm Bertha dissipated on July 24.
"We have added a low risk for tropical development for August 11-13," AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alexander DaSilva said. "A tropical wave that moved westward off the coast of Africa will be far enough south to avoid the bulk of the dry air and highest wind shear, which will give it a chance at developing."
"At this time, we do not anticipate any direct impacts to land. We will have to monitor the Lesser Antilles if this area does manage to develop," he added.
"Sea surface temperatures across most of the Atlantic are warmer than the historical average," DaSilva pointed out. "This can allow for storms to still form despite hostile conditions brought on by El Niño.
"We may see a couple of storms in the Atlantic in August, but seeing none is also not out of the realm of possibility due to increased amounts of wind shear and dry air," DaSilva said.
When was the last time there were no storms in August?
In 2022, there were no named Atlantic tropical storms between Tropical Storm Colin, which dissipated on July 2, and Hurricane Danielle, which formed on Sept. 1. Having no Atlantic storms in August that year was an event that had occurred only twice before since recordkeeping began in 1850: 1961 and 1997.
Still, the 1961 Atlantic hurricane season was incredibly busy, but not in August. There were 12 total named storms that season, eight of which were hurricanes, and two of those reached Category 5 strength: Hurricane Esther in September and Hurricane Hattie in late October. Esther made landfall in New England, resulting in about $6 million in property damages, or $67 million today.
On the other hand, 1997 wasn't quite as eventful. There were only eight storms that season, three of them hurricanes, and only one was a major hurricane, Hurricane Erika in September, which was a Category 3 storm.
Hurricane Danny in July 1997, a Category 1 storm, was the only storm to make landfall at hurricane strength that season. Danny killed nine people and caused $100 million in property damage, equivalent to $210 million in 2026.
What were the least active Atlantic hurricane seasons?
The least active Atlantic hurricane season in the satellite era (since 1966) was 1983, with only four named storms. The 1977, 1982 and 1986 seasons each produced six named storms. Since 2000, only two Atlantic hurricane seasons have had fewer than 10 named Atlantic storms: 2009, with nine, and 2014, with eight.
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