Hurricane Names Are About To Run Out As 2 New Storms Form Within 6 Hours Monday

TOPLINE

The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season is continuing to chug along at a record pace with Tropical Storm Paulette and Tropical Storm Rene forming over a period of just six hours Monday, as forecasters warn most of the strongest storms lie ahead.

KEY FACTS

This week is historically the peak of hurricane activity in the Atlantic basin, with the exact peak coming on Sept. 10, which is Thursday.

So far, 17 named storms have formed, making this season already above-average, and putting it on a pace unseen since record-keeping began in 1851.

There are only four storm names left on this season’s list, and the National Hurricane Center is monitoring two more systems that could develop this week.

If more than 21 storms form, further names will be used based on letters in the Greek alphabet.

That has only happened once before, in 2005, when there was a record-setting 28 named storms, including destructive hurricanes like Katrina, Rita and Wilma.

Paulette and Rene are both expected to strengthen, with Rene forecast to become a hurricane, but they aren’t expected to impact any large land masses over the next week as they move across the central Atlantic.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR 

Some of the season’s strongest storms will come after Thursday’s climatological peak, forecasters say. So far, only Hurricane Laura has reached major hurricane status, Category 3 or higher, bringing its devastating strength to southwest Louisiana. Forecasters warn more storms of that magnitude could be on the way, with meteorologists at Colorado State University predicting this season will end up having five major hurricanes, while forecasters with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predict anywhere from three to six major hurricanes.

SURPRISING FACT

Hurricane season officially extends until Nov. 30, but the threat to much of the U.S. typically starts dropping in October, as cold fronts sweep storms away from the coastline and out to sea. But some of the most destructive storms in U.S. history have come late in the season. Hurricane Michael made landfall on the Florida panhandle on Oct. 10, 2018, as only the fourth Category 5 hurricane to ever strike the U.S. In 2012, Hurricane Sandy impacted the U.S. at the end of October, but the storm was technically not a hurricane when it made landfall in New Jersey, since it had lost tropical characteristics.

KEY BACKGROUND 

This season has had warmer than normal sea surface temperatures and below average wind shear, which prevents storms from forming and strengthening. Meteorologists say this is what has led to so many storms forming so far, and they predict that favorable pattern for development will continue to stay in place.

FURTHER READING

Hurricane Laura Nearing Category 5 Strength Ahead Of Landfall (Forbes)

Hurricane Season Will Be So Active Forecasters Expect To Run Out Of Storm Names (Forbes)

NOAA Forecasts There Could Be Near-Record Number Of Storms This Hurricane Season (Forbes)

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