{
  "id": 13124533,
  "title": "How Hurricane Isaias broke through to become the first Atlantic hurricane in an eerily quiet 2026 season",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/how-hurricane-isaias-broke-through-to-become-the-first-atlantic",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-09T12:38:09.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Conversation",
    "slug": "the-conversation",
    "url": "https://theconversation.com/how-hurricane-isaias-broke-through-to-become-the-first-atlantic-hurricane-in-an-eerily-quiet-2026-season-294028"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Hurricane Isaias caused a disturbance in the otherwise quiet Atlantic hurricane season of 2026 by becoming the first hurricane of the season and threatening the northern Gulf Coast. Coastal residents and business owners in Alabama and Florida's Panhandle began preparing for the potential impact of strong winds, rain, and storm surge. Tyndall Air Force Base also initiated evacuations of fighter jets due to the incoming storm. Hurricane Isaias set a record for being the latest-forming first hurricane of a season on record, tying with a 1905 storm for this achievement.\n\nThe reasons behind the hurricane's formation and the season's unusual quietness can be traced back to atmospheric conditions and climate patterns. Strong winds influenced the storm's growth, causing its rain bands to be primarily pushed to its northeast. Two major factors that contributed to the quiet start of the 2026 season are El Niño and vertical wind shear.\n\nEl Niño, a climate pattern resulting in warmer ocean surface temperatures in the eastern Pacific, influences weather patterns worldwide, including Atlantic hurricanes. The 2026 El Niño was already strong by late summer, leading forecasters to anticipate one of the strongest events on record. El Niño's impact on hurricane formation occurs due to increased rising air over the eastern Pacific, causing widespread thunderstorm activity and creating a westerly wind across the tropical Atlantic. This results in drier air in the tropical Atlantic, which is crucial for hurricane formation.\n\nAdditionally, vertical wind shear, a phenomenon where winds near the surface blow from the east while winds at higher altitudes blow from the west, further hindered hurricane formation. This wind shear disrupts any deep column of moisture that tries to organize into a hurricane's vortex. In 2026, the tropical Atlantic experienced both vertical wind shear and dry air, making it challenging for storms to form and become strong hurricanes. Most storms that formed earlier in the 2026 season were located north of the region of vertical shear and dry air, making it rare for storms forming at higher latitudes to become strong hurricanes.",
  "summary": "An atmospheric scientist explains what’s been going on in the atmosphere, and how El Niño and the jet stream both play important roles.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "RTE News",
        "title": "Hurricane Isaias strengthens en route to US Gulf Coast",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/hurricane-isaias-strengthens-en-route-to-us-gulf-coast",
        "published": "2026-10-09T08:01:46.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Phys.org",
        "title": "Hurricane Isaias strengthens en route to US Gulf Coast",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/hurricane-isaias-strengthens-en-route-to-us-gulf-coast-13106877",
        "published": "2026-10-09T08:40:01.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}