Atlantic hurricane season reaches its peak with no hurricanes so far in 2026

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - Sept. 10 marks the climatological peak of the Atlantic hurricane season, but the 2026 season has been unusually quiet when it comes to hurricanes.

So far this season, five named storms have formed in the Atlantic basin, but none have strengthened into a hurricane.

That puts 2026 close to record territory. The latest first hurricane of an Atlantic season on record formed on Sept. 11, a mark reached in both 2002 and 2013.

One factor helping keep the Atlantic quieter is El Niño.

Warmer-than-normal water in the tropical Pacific associated with El Niño can influence weather patterns thousands of miles away. In the Atlantic, it can lead to increased wind shear changes in wind speed and direction with height that can disrupt developing tropical systems and make it more difficult for them to organize and strengthen.

When the Pacific is hot, the Atlantic is not!

Even with the slow start, hurricane season is far from over. The Atlantic hurricane season officially continues through November 30, and tropical activity can still ramp up during the weeks following the climatological peak.

It only takes one storm to make an otherwise quiet hurricane season a significant one, so it remains important to stay prepared and monitor the tropics through the remainder of the season.

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