In short
- No hurricane formed in the Atlantic during September 2026, the first September without one in more than 30 years.
- The US National Hurricane Center predicted in May 2026 between eight and 14 named storms, of which three to six were expected to become hurricanes.
- Four named tropical storms formed in the Atlantic in September 2026: Edouard, Fay, Gonzalo and Hanna.
- The eastern Pacific basin has produced 17 named storms so far, including nine hurricanes, seven of them major.
- The 2026 Atlantic hurricane season runs until 30 November, and El Niño is forecast to peak in November or December.
No hurricane formed in the Atlantic during September 2026, the first September without one in more than 30 years. With two months left of a season that ends on 30 November, forecasters say the Atlantic could finish without a single hurricane for the first time since satellite monitoring began in the 1960s.
September is normally the most active month for tropical storms and hurricanes in the Atlantic. Four named tropical storms did form during the month — Edouard, Fay, Gonzalo and Hanna — and all but Edouard remained in the open waters of the Atlantic.
Has the Atlantic ever gone a full season without a hurricane?
In the historical Atlantic hurricane database, no year without a hurricane has been recorded since 1914. That season predates satellite monitoring, so researchers cannot say with certainty that no hurricane formed. The 2026 season already marks the latest date on record since the satellite era began in the 1960s with no hurricane in the North Atlantic.
What did forecasters predict for the 2026 season?
The US National Hurricane Center forecast in May that the season would be quieter than normal because of El Niño. It projected eight to 14 named storms, of which three to six were expected to become hurricanes and one to three major hurricanes.
How does El Niño suppress Atlantic hurricanes?
El Niño is the natural warming of the tropical Pacific, and it can disrupt weather patterns globally. As wind patterns shift, upper-level winds over the Atlantic strengthen, increasing wind shear, the rapid change in wind speed and direction with height. Those winds tear apart thunderstorms before they can grow into tropical storms or hurricanes. The Pacific typically becomes more active instead, because higher sea surface temperatures give storms more energy and wind patterns there are more favourable. The UN has warned that this El Niño could be the strongest in more than 70 years.
How active has the eastern Pacific been?
Daily sea surface temperatures in a key region of the central-eastern Pacific have already exceeded the record set during the very strong El Niño of 2015. The basin has produced 17 named storms so far, including nine hurricanes, seven of them major. Measured by Accumulated Cyclone Energy, the amount of energy those storms have generated, the season is around two and a half times more active than normal at this point.
What happens next in the Atlantic?
The National Hurricane Center says there is no sign of tropical storm or hurricane activity over the next week at least. Forecasters at Colorado State University, who also monitor the basin, say the strong El Niño is likely to disrupt wind patterns across the Atlantic and “likely result in below-normal activity” over the next two weeks. El Niño is predicted to keep strengthening and to reach its peak in November or December, while the hurricane season runs until 30 November.
Frequently asked questions
Has any Atlantic hurricane season passed without a hurricane?
No year without a hurricane has been recorded in the historical Atlantic database since 1914, but that season predates satellite monitoring, so it cannot be confirmed with certainty. A hurricane-free 2026 would be the first such season in the satellite era.
Why has no hurricane formed in the Atlantic in 2026?
El Niño has strengthened upper-level winds over the Atlantic, increasing wind shear that breaks up thunderstorms before they can develop into tropical storms or hurricanes, while the eastern Pacific has been unusually active.
When does the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season end?
The season runs until 30 November, leaving roughly two months from early October for a hurricane to form.
How many storms did the National Hurricane Center predict for 2026?
In May the US National Hurricane Center forecast eight to 14 named storms, of which three to six were expected to become hurricanes and one to three major hurricanes.
With reporting from BBC News.
Stock image, not from the events described. City Skyline — Joe deSousa / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)
