With the Atlantic hurricane season coming to its official end Saturday, scientists are already pondering the mysteries of what has been an extremely active six months.
It was also weird. So much so that Colorado State University researcher Phil Klotzbach called it “the strangest hyperactive season on record.”
The Atlantic spawned 11 hurricanes this season, above the annual average of seven. Also above average was the number of major hurricanes, defined as Category 3 strength or higher on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale. There were five of those, compared to the three we’d expect to see in an average year.
It also included a number of costly storms that caused total economic losses of about $500 billion, according to early estimates from AccuWeather. But that’s not what made this season so strange, Klotzbach and other scientists said. Below are two key areas researchers are probing — and one twist on how 2025 may shape up.
Very quiet — then very active all at once
For the first time in more than 50 years, the Atlantic went silent during the heart of hurricane season. In an average year, there would have been four named…
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