The National Hurricane Center (NHC) confirmed that the start of the Atlantic hurricane season was the calmest in at least 60 years. Since the beginning of the year, only five tropical storms formed in the Atlantic basin, all of short duration. The latest date on which a hurricane formed in the Atlantic was September 12, and this record may soon be broken, as no hurricane has formed yet this season.
Satellite images from September 5 showed no tropical cyclonic activity in the region. The Atlantic basin appeared relatively clear, with only some Saharan dust to the east. This calm contrasts with the Pacific, where three hurricanes were devastating the region simultaneously.
The peak of the Atlantic hurricane season occurs on September 10, but even as it approached, the basin remained eerily quiet. Since the beginning of satellite records in 1966, only seven years have had no hurricane form during the month of September.
The only tropical storm with significant impact was Tropical Storm Edouard, which hit Louisiana with maximum winds of 60 mph. The NHC indicates that the Atlantic has had no hurricane yet this season.
