The Gulf of Mexico is experiencing exceptionally high temperatures, yet hurricane season has unexpectedly slowed down, surprising researchers who note that while conditions in the Atlantic seem ripe for storms, none are currently forming.
The National Hurricane Center announced on Friday that no tropical cyclone activity is anticipated for at least a week. Philip Klotzbach, a meteorologist at Colorado State University who specializes in hurricane forecasts, expressed confusion over the lack of storms despite the hot Atlantic waters and the anticipated La Niña pattern, which is usually associated with increased hurricane activity.
La Niña, expected to develop this fall, typically influences hurricane formation, and warm sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico are at their highest levels since 2013.
The University of Maine’s Climate Reanalyzer reported that sea surface temperatures in the North Atlantic are about 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit above normal, with an even greater increase in the Gulf of Mexico. Despite these conditions, which should theoretically fuel hurricane development, the season has been relatively quiet since a record-setting start.
Hurricane scientists initially predicted a highly active season, and although there has been significant activity, including two U.S. landfalls and a major storm early in the season, the latter part of the season may still see increased activity as it approaches its unofficial peak on September 10.
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