NewsWUSF (NPR Tampa Bay)July 30, 2026Hillsborough
Why Hurricane Activity May Be Suppressed This Season
While warm Gulf waters could intensify hurricanes, current climate patterns like El Niño and Saharan dust are helping to suppress storm development. Scientists are deploying new research equipment to better understand storm behavior and improve future forecasting.
Read the full story at WUSF (NPR Tampa Bay)Why It Matters
Residents in hurricane-prone areas may see fewer storms than average this year, though experts warn that a single storm can still cause significant impact.
Key Facts
- El Niño is currently increasing wind shear, which acts to weaken tropical storms.
- Saharan dust is currently suppressing tropical storm activity by reducing the moisture storms require.
- The peak of the hurricane season is predicted to occur on September 10.
- National forecasters predict fewer storms than the historical average for this year.
- The Office of Naval Research is funding a study to deploy floats and drifters to collect data on hurricane-ocean interactions.
- Data collected from the study will be integrated into weather forecasting models to improve accuracy.
Who's Mentioned
organizationOffice of Naval Research“Funding and oversight agency for the upcoming hurricane research experiment”personNick Shay“Professor of ocean sciences at the University of Miami”otherTropical Storm Bertha“Example of a storm weakened by wind shear”organizationUniversity of Miami“Academic institution conducting ocean research”