The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season is witnessing unprecedented climactic events, with a total of 18 named tropical storms, among which 11 reached hurricane status and five turned into major hurricanes categorized as three and above. Typically, a season averages around 14 named storms, with only seven escalating to hurricanes and three categorized as major hurricanes.
This season saw records being matched or surpassed, yet the distribution of activity was atypical. The season, which spans from June 1 to November 30, entered a surprisingly tranquil phase during the usual peak around early September. After the powerful Hurricane Beryl made landfall in early July, the Atlantic fell quiet, only spawning four additional named storms without any major hurricanes until the emergence of Helene.
Experts had anticipated an above-average season, with early predictions suggesting extraordinary activity. As expected, Hurricane Beryl emerged as the first category five hurricane of the season, triggering extensive damage and fatalities across the Caribbean before landing in southern Texas, where it caused severe flooding and power outages.
However, despite high seawater temperatures and the anticipated end of El Niño conditions, hurricane development was curtailed due to unusual weather patterns in Africa that redirected storm-generating thunderstorm clusters northward, away from optimal development areas. Meanwhile, the Atlantic continued to maintain above-average sea surface temperatures, indicating the potential for future hurricanes.
Later in the season, Hurricane Helene broke the silence, rapidly intensifying into a major category four storm before making landfall in Florida. Helene was notably devastating, resulting in more than 150 fatalities and catastrophic flooding from Florida to the southern Appalachian region, marking it as one of the deadliest hurricanes since Hurricane Katrina.
This reactivation of the Atlantic hurricane basin escalated further, with five additional storms developing in quick succession, four of which intensified rapidly. Hurricane Milton particularly stood out, registering wind speeds soaring by 90mph—an extraordinary instance of rapid intensification—before hitting the Florida coast.
The final storm of the season, Tropical Storm Sara, ultimately did not become a hurricane but lingered near the Central American coast, delivering over three feet of rain to Honduras.
Amidst this tumult, the role of climate change in exacerbating hurricane intensity has come under scrutiny. An analysis indicated that rising sea temperatures due to climate change influenced the ferocity of storms this season, with maximum wind speeds reflecting an increase attributed directly to human-induced climate changes.
While the overall frequency of hurricanes may not be expected to rise significantly, scientists warn that those that do occur will likely be more intense and cause greater rainfall, posing progressively severe risks moving forward.
This season saw records being matched or surpassed, yet the distribution of activity was atypical. The season, which spans from June 1 to November 30, entered a surprisingly tranquil phase during the usual peak around early September. After the powerful Hurricane Beryl made landfall in early July, the Atlantic fell quiet, only spawning four additional named storms without any major hurricanes until the emergence of Helene.
Experts had anticipated an above-average season, with early predictions suggesting extraordinary activity. As expected, Hurricane Beryl emerged as the first category five hurricane of the season, triggering extensive damage and fatalities across the Caribbean before landing in southern Texas, where it caused severe flooding and power outages.
However, despite high seawater temperatures and the anticipated end of El Niño conditions, hurricane development was curtailed due to unusual weather patterns in Africa that redirected storm-generating thunderstorm clusters northward, away from optimal development areas. Meanwhile, the Atlantic continued to maintain above-average sea surface temperatures, indicating the potential for future hurricanes.
Later in the season, Hurricane Helene broke the silence, rapidly intensifying into a major category four storm before making landfall in Florida. Helene was notably devastating, resulting in more than 150 fatalities and catastrophic flooding from Florida to the southern Appalachian region, marking it as one of the deadliest hurricanes since Hurricane Katrina.
This reactivation of the Atlantic hurricane basin escalated further, with five additional storms developing in quick succession, four of which intensified rapidly. Hurricane Milton particularly stood out, registering wind speeds soaring by 90mph—an extraordinary instance of rapid intensification—before hitting the Florida coast.
The final storm of the season, Tropical Storm Sara, ultimately did not become a hurricane but lingered near the Central American coast, delivering over three feet of rain to Honduras.
Amidst this tumult, the role of climate change in exacerbating hurricane intensity has come under scrutiny. An analysis indicated that rising sea temperatures due to climate change influenced the ferocity of storms this season, with maximum wind speeds reflecting an increase attributed directly to human-induced climate changes.
While the overall frequency of hurricanes may not be expected to rise significantly, scientists warn that those that do occur will likely be more intense and cause greater rainfall, posing progressively severe risks moving forward.
