Possible Tropical Storm Brews in Atlantic as El Niño Keeps Hurricanes Away
Chances have increased that an Atlantic disturbance east of the U.S. could form into a tropical storm in the next seven days.
The recent update from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) indicates an increased likelihood of a tropical storm forming in the Atlantic Ocean east of the United States within the next week. This is despite the Atlantic hurricane season having been unusually quiet so far, with no hurricanes recorded this year. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) had previously predicted a below-average season for the Atlantic basin, ranging from 8 to 14 named storms, 3 to 6 hurricanes, and 1 to 3 major hurricanes.
The primary reason for this subdued season is the formation of El Niño, a climate pattern that brings above-average sea temperatures and weakened trade winds in the tropical Pacific. El Niño is expected to strengthen further through the end of the year, with a more than 90 percent chance of becoming very strong during the fall and winter months.
While El Niño's impact on the Atlantic hurricane season is typically felt during the colder months, it can still influence both the Atlantic and Pacific hurricane seasons. The NHC meteorologists are currently tracking a new disturbance near Bermuda that has a 40 percent chance of developing into a tropical storm within the next week. If this disturbance does indeed strengthen, it will be named Fay.
Brief written by urgent.news from Newsweek's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
