12 Tropical Storms Have Been Earliest To Form

Until the end of the Atlantic hurricane season

During an average hurricane season, 12 named storms form in the Atlantic basin.

In 2020, 12 tropical storms have each been the earliest to form relative to their respective letters.

So far this year, it has been far from average!

The chart above lists all of the storms that have reached tropical storm status this year and their corresponding record earliest dates. Those dates are then compared to the previous-earliest named storm on record. These records go back to the mid-20th century so roughly 70 years or so. This year, the named storms have been beating the previously-earliest named storms by about 7 to 8 days on average!

The named storms *not* to be earliest on record this year include Arthur (5/16/2020) Bertha (5/27/2020) and Dolly (6/23/2020).

So far this season, 7 out of the 15 named storms have made landfall. The peak of the hurricane season is the second week of September. Additional named storms are expected through the end of the hurricane season, November 30.

Why the busy season? Several factors have come together this hurricane season. First, sea surface temperatures in the tropical Atlantic have been slightly warmer than average, inducing development. Next, sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific have been slightly cooler than average, creating a favorable environment over on the Atlantic side. The west African monsoon has also been active, which helps create the healthy tropical waves that enter the Atlantic basin. All three of these factors are expected to continue for the rest of this season, as of this writing.

The Atlantic Hurricane Season runs from June 1 – November 30 and typically September is the most active month for hurricane development in the Atlantic basin. Here’s a look ahead of what the peak of the Atlantic Hurricane Season looks like:

We are heading to the peak of hurricane season, so keep it tuned to WeatherNation for all of your tropical updates.