Atlantic sets record for latest 1st hurricane in satellite era
No Atlantic hurricanes have formed so far in the 2026 season, the latest a season has gone without one since 1914.
Meteorologist Matt Devitt said on Saturday that the season has now set a record for the latest first Atlantic hurricane in the satellite era, which began in 1966.
Satellite monitoring gives forecasters far more reliable coverage of storms that remain far from land, while earlier historical records depended largely on ships, aircraft and land-based observations. In the longer historical record, only the 1907 and 1914 seasons ended without a single Atlantic hurricane.
Five named storms have formed: Arthur, Bertha, Cristobal, Dolly and Edouard. A storm must reach sustained winds of at least 74 mph to become a hurricane, and none of the five reached that threshold.
Edouard came closest, nearly reaching hurricane strength before making landfall near the Louisiana-Texas border earlier this month.
The quiet start of the season has been driven in part by the current El Niño, which is expected to become the strongest since records began. El Niño warms parts of the tropical Pacific Ocean and changes atmospheric circulation across the Atlantic, creating stronger wind shear.
The Atlantic hurricane season continues through Nov. 30.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
