Category Archives: Tropical

Does North America have a hurricane season?

Posted on June 17, 2025 by WeatherGuys Editor

Recently FEMA Director David Richardson claimed he was unaware that there is a hurricane season in the United States.  There most certainly is such a season. The Atlantic hurricane season climatologically runs from June 1 through November 30, with the most active part of the season being mid-August through mid-October. Hurricanes are tropical storms over the Atlantic Basin (Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico). Based on a 30-year climate period from 1991 to 2020, the average Atlantic hurricane season has 14 named storms, 7 hurricanes, and 3 major hurricanes. A developing tropical cyclone is given a name when it reaches sustained winds of 39 mph and it becomes a hurricane at 74 mph.

Hurricanes can occur outside this season but these are the months with favorable conditions for formation of the storms. One such condition is the ocean temperature exceeding 79.7F, which is common in the Atlantic Basin between June and November. Hurricanes have difficulty forming off the U.S. west coast due to cold water, cold currents, and unfavorable winds. Continue reading →

Category: Seasons, Tropical

Comments Off on Does North America have a hurricane season?

Was Hurricane Beryl a special storm?

Posted on July 8, 2024 by WeatherGuys Editor

All hurricanes are special, given the extensive damage they can cause when they make landfall. Beryl was considered extra special because it was a record-breaking storm.

Beryl rapidly intensified from a tropical storm to a major hurricane (Category 3 or higher) with wind speeds that increased to 95 mph in less than two days. Category 3 storms have sustained winds between 111 mph and 129 mph. Only six other Atlantic Basin storms have intensified this quickly and those storms all happened after August, the typical time of year with conditions favorable for hurricanes. Continue reading →

Category: History, Tropical

Comments Off on Was Hurricane Beryl a special storm?

Why aren’t South America and the west coast of Africa hit by hurricanes?

Posted on June 10, 2024 by WeatherGuys Editor

Tropical storms hitting South America have distinct disadvantages compared with the North American situation. The energy to drive tropical systems is derived from warm ocean waters. For tropical storms to form, the ocean temperature needs to exceed 79.7 Fahrenheit, which … Continue reading →

Category: Meteorology, Tropical

Comments Off on Why aren’t South America and the west coast of Africa hit by hurricanes?

Why is NWS predicting an active hurricane season?

Posted on June 3, 2024 by WeatherGuys Editor

The National Weather Service is expecting the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season to be an extremely active one. The forecast predicts 17 to 25 total named storms. Such storms have sustained winds of 38 mph or higher. Additionally, four to seven of those storms may fall into the major hurricane category, with sustained winds of 111 mph or higher.

An average year sees 14 named storms during hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30. Continue reading →

Category: Severe Weather, Tropical

Comments Off on Why is NWS predicting an active hurricane season?

Are hurricanes intensifying more quickly?

Posted on October 31, 2023 by WeatherGuys Editor

Hurricane intensities are classified using the Saffir–Simpson scale, which rates hurricanes on a scale of 1 to 5 based on the damage their winds would cause upon landfall. Major hurricanes are those classified as Category 3 and higher on this … Continue reading →

Category: Meteorology, Phenomena, Tropical

Comments Off on Are hurricanes intensifying more quickly?