Why the Atlantic hasn't produced a single hurricane yet this year

In an era of supercharged and increasingly frequent storms, this year’s hurricane season has been remarkably quiet. Not a single hurricane has formed in the Atlantic so far, setting a record for how far into hurricane season the region has advanced without producing such a storm. The unusually low storm activity is due in large part to El Niño, a naturally occurring weather phenomenon that results from higher-than-normal ocean temperatures in the Pacific and brings wet, stormy winters to the Southeastern United States. This year’s El Niño is projected to become a rare “super” El Niño, which means it could bring an even wetter, stormier winter to Georgia – even as it works harder than normal to suppress hurricanes and tropical storms in the summer and fall. El Niño produces “hostile winds” that make it difficult for hurricanes to develop, said AccuWeather lead hurricane expert Alex DaSilva.

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