Atlantic Hurricane Season Passes Peak Month Without a Single Hurricane as 'Super' El Niño Suppresses Storms
As of October 1, the Pacific experienced 20 named storms, including three Category 5 hurricanes. Notably, four months into the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, no storms have escalated to hurricane status, resulting in the first hurricane-free September in more than three decades. Meteorologist Michael Lowry highlighted that September 10 represents the statistical peak of the season, making this situation unprecedented. Historically, hurricane-free Septembers have only been recorded in 1994, 1972, and 1962. Typically, recent seasons see an average of seven hurricanes, with only 1907 and 1914 lacking any. Brian McNoldy pointed out that the intensifying El Niño is likely to be the strongest ever, contributing to increased wind shear that hinders storm development. Tropical Storm Fay nearly reached hurricane status in September.
Key facts
- No Atlantic hurricane has formed four months into the 2026 season, and September passed without one for the first time in more than 30 years
- September 10 is statistically the peak of Atlantic hurricane season
- Modern records since 1950 show hurricane-free Septembers only in 1994, 1972 and 1962, according to Phil Klotzbach of Colorado State University
- Recent decades have averaged seven Atlantic hurricanes per season, with only 1914 and 1907 documented as hurricane-free
- Brian McNoldy of the University of Miami says the El Niño is headed toward almost certainly being the strongest on record
- Record-strong wind shear over Atlantic hurricane formation zones has been suppressing storms since summer
- The Pacific had 20 named storms as of October 1, including three Category 5 hurricanes
- Hurricane Polo intensified from tropical storm to Category 5 within 24 hours on September 22, one of the fastest on record in the eastern Pacific
Entities
Artists
- Michael Lowry
- Phil Klotzbach
- Brian McNoldy
- Matthew Cappucci
- John Morales
- Andrea Thompson
- Chris Dolce
- Ava Berger
- Sara Hashemi
Institutions
- WPLG-TV
- Scientific American
- Colorado State University
- CNN
- University of Miami
- NPR
- Washington Post
- NBC6
- National Hurricane Center
- Smithsonian Magazine
- International Space Station
- NASA
Locations
- Atlantic Ocean
- Pacific Ocean
- Florida
- United States
- New York City