Tropical Activity on Track to Increase After Quiet Atlantic Hurricane Peak

Hurricane experts are urging people to remain prepared for an expected increase in tropical activity later this month after a quiet stretch during the typical peak weeks of the Atlantic hurricane season—and the second half of the season is expected to have more tropical activity than the first.

AccuWeather is again warning of a heightened danger of tropical storms or developing in the region by mid-September. AccuWeather last week predicted heightened danger of tropical storms or developing in the region by mid-September. The news agency compared the Gulf to a giant bathtub, with water temperatures in the upper 80s to low 90s. Warmer water is known to fuel tropical storms.

According to AccuWeather, the climatological peak of hurricane season occurs on Sept. 10 when water temperatures in the Atlantic typically peak, and atmospheric conditions are most conducive for tropical development.

A surge of dry air has limited tropical formation in the main development region of the Atlantic this week.

This will be the first time in nearly a decade that the peak of hurricane season passes without a named storm, which has occurred only three times in the last 30 years, according to AccuWeather.

Hurricane experts say less dry air, less Saharan dust and less disruptive wind shear is forecast in the Atlantic starting next week. Sea surface temperatures and ocean heat in the Gulf have also surged to a new record high.

Atmospheric conditions are forecast to be conducive for tropical development in late September, with the possibility of rapid intensification if a storm forms or moves into the very warm waters of the Gulf later this month, according to AccuWeather.

There’s an Increased risk of tornadoes and flooding from tropical storms and hurricanes reaching farther inland this year. Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, the Florida Gulf Coast, North Carolina, Atlantic Canada, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands face a higher-than-average risk of a direct impact this year, according to AccuWeather.