Raleigh Durham, NC, September 12, 2026 —

The Atlantic hurricane season is experiencing an unusually quiet period, a trend largely attributed to the persistent influence of a strong El Niño phenomenon. This climatic pattern is significantly disrupting the typical formation and development of tropical storms and hurricanes across the Atlantic basin.

El Niño, characterized by warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, often leads to atmospheric conditions that suppress hurricane activity in the Atlantic. These conditions typically include increased wind shear, which can tear apart developing storm systems, and atmospheric subsidence, which hinders the upward motion of air necessary for storm development.

Forecasters and meteorologists have been closely monitoring the impact of El Niño on this year’s hurricane season. The absence of widespread storm activity so far has provided a significant reprieve for coastal communities that are typically on alert during this period. While the exact number of storms has not been provided in the trend summary, the overall assessment indicates a notable decrease in expected activity.

The Atlantic hurricane season officially runs from June 1 to November 30, with peak activity usually occurring between August and October. The current quiet conditions suggest that the atmospheric and oceanic factors associated with El Niño are playing a dominant role in shaping the season’s trajectory. Meteorologists continue to track the ocean temperatures and atmospheric patterns that influence storm genesis.

Further details regarding specific storm numbers, landfalls, or their direct impacts are not available in the provided summary. However, the ongoing El Niño remains the primary driver cited for the suppressed storm activity observed thus far in the Atlantic.


Story summarized from the original created by web.operations@abc11mail.com(WTVD-TV Raleigh-Durham) on abc11.com, see more information here.

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