2026 Atlantic hurricane season
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The 2026 Atlantic hurricane season is the upcoming Atlantic hurricane season event in the Northern Hemisphere. The season will officially begin on June 1, 2026, and end on November 30, 2026. These dates, adopted by convention, historically describe the period in each year when most subtropical or tropical cyclogenesis occurs in the Atlantic Ocean (over 97%). The National Hurricane Center (NHC) began issuing regular Tropical Weather Outlooks on May 15, 2026, about two weeks prior to the official start of the season.
| 2026 Atlantic hurricane season | |
|---|---|
| Seasonal boundaries | |
| First system formed | Season not started |
| Last system dissipated | Season not started |
| Seasonal statistics | |
| Total fatalities | Unknown |
| Total damage | Unknown |
| Related articles | |
Seasonal forecasts
| Source | Date | Named storms |
Hurricanes | Major hurricanes |
Ref |
| Average (1991–2020) | 14.4 | 7.2 | 3.2 | [1] | |
| Record high activity | 30 | 15 | 7† | [2] | |
| Record low activity | 1 | 0† | 0† | [2] | |
| TSR | December 11, 2025 | 14 | 7 | 3 | [3] |
| UA | April 7, 2026 | 20 | 9 | 4 | [4] |
| CSU | April 9, 2026 | 13 | 6 | 2 | [5] |
| TSR | April 9, 2026 | 12 | 5 | 1 | [6] |
| TWC | April 16, 2026 | 12 | 6 | 2 | [7] |
| UPenn | April 21, 2026 | 7–13 | N/A | N/A | [8] |
| NCSU | April 22, 2026 | 12–15 | 6–9 | 2–3 | [9] |
| SMN | April 22, 2026 | 11–15 | 4–7 | 1–2 | [10] |
| NOAA | May 21, 2026 | 8–14 | 3–6 | 1–3 | [11] |
| Actual activity | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| † Most recent of several such occurrences. (See all) | |||||
In advance of, and during, each hurricane season, several forecasts of hurricane activity are issued by national meteorological services, scientific agencies, and noted hurricane experts. These include forecasters from the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s Climate Prediction Center, Tropical Storm Risk (TSR), the United Kingdom's Met Office, and Colorado State University (CSU). The forecasts include weekly and monthly changes in significant factors that help determine the amount of tropical storms, hurricanes, and major hurricanes within a particular season.
According to NOAA and CSU, the average hurricane season between 1991 and 2020 contained about 14 named storms, 7 hurricanes and 3 major hurricanes (Category 3 and higher), as well as a median accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) index of 71.04–123.14 units.[12] Broadly speaking, ACE is the measure of the power of a tropical or subtropical cyclone multiplied by the length of time it existed. ACE is only calculated for full advisories on specific tropical or subtropical cyclones reaching wind speeds of 39 mph (63 km/h) or higher. NOAA typically describes a season as above-average, average, or below-average depending on the cumulative ACE index, but the number of tropical storms, hurricanes or major hurricanes can also be considered.
Pre-season forecasts
On December 11, 2025, TSR released their first forecast for the season, expecting a near-normal season, with 14 named storms, 7 hurricanes, 3 major hurricanes,[nb 1] and an ACE index of 125 units, close to the thirty-year average. They noted historically low certainty in this forecast, with the main factors being potentially moderate El Niño conditions arising in mid- to late-summer 2026, along with a reasonable certainty of warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures (SSTs) for the season.[3]
On April 7, 2026, the University of Arizona (UA) posted their forecast calling for an active season featuring 20 named storms, 9 hurricanes, 4 major hurricanes, and an ACE index of 155 units.[4] Noted in their forecast was similarities to the 2023 season, namely the possibility of exceptionally strong El Niño conditions for the season, along with the 2026 SST outlook being only slightly lower than that of 2023.[4] Two days later, CSU and TSR published their April forecasts, both calling for a slightly below-normal season, with CSU forecasting 13 named storms, 6 hurricanes, and 2 major hurricanes, with an ACE index of 90 units, and TSR forecasting 12 named storms, 5 hurricanes, and 1 major hurricane with an ACE index of 66 units. This is due to the likelihood of robust El Niño conditions during the season, which will likely induce above-normal wind shear across the Tropical Atlantic and Caribbean during the season, despite some predictions calling for slightly above average sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic.[5][6] On April 16, The Weather Channel (TWC) issued their forecast, also calling for a below average season with 12 named storms, 6 hurricanes, and 2 major hurricanes due to the predicted El Niño.[7] On April 21, University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) issued their prediction of 7–13 systems with a best estimate of 10 systems.[8] On April 22, North Carolina State University (NCSU) released their seasonal forecast, calling for an average season of 12–15 named storms, 6–9 hurricanes, and 2–3 major hurricanes, also forecasting for near-average activity in the Gulf of Mexico and below-average activity in the Caribbean Sea.[9] Also on April 22, Mexico's National Meteorological Service (SMN) issued its first forecast for the Atlantic hurricane season, predicting a below-to near average, with 11–15 named storms, 4–7 hurricanes and 1–2 major hurricanes.[10]
On May 21, forecasters at NOAA's National Weather Service predicted a below-normal hurricane season with 8 to 14 named storms, including 3 to 6 hurricanes of which 1 to 3 reaching major hurricane status. The expected development of an El Niño event during the season would reduce the number of tropical systems by counteracting slightly above-normal Atlantic Ocean temperatures and weaker-than-average trade winds that favor them.[11]
Storm names
The following list of names will be used for storms that form in the Atlantic basin during 2026. This was the same list used in the 2020 season with the exception of Leah, which replaced Laura.[14]
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Season effects
The following is a table which will include all of the storms that form in the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season. It will include their duration, names, intensities, areas affected, damages, and death totals. Deaths in parentheses are additional and indirect (an example of an indirect death would be a traffic accident), but were still related to that storm. Damage and deaths include totals while the storm was extratropical, a wave, or a low, and all of the damage figures will be in 2026 USD.
| Saffir–Simpson scale | ||||||
| TD | TS | C1 | C2 | C3 | C4 | C5 |
| Storm name |
Dates active | Storm category at peak intensity |
Max 1-min wind mph (km/h) |
Min. press. (mbar) |
Areas affected | Damage (US$) |
Deaths | Ref(s). | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season aggregates | ||||||||||
| 0 systems | Season not started | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
See also
- Tropical cyclones in 2026
- 2026 Pacific hurricane season
- 2026 Pacific typhoon season
- 2026 North Indian Ocean cyclone season
- South-West Indian Ocean cyclone seasons: 2025–26, 2026–27
- Australian region cyclone seasons: 2025–26
- South Pacific cyclone seasons: 2025–26
Notes
- Hurricanes reaching Category 3 and higher—1-minute sustained winds higher than 110 miles per hour (178 km/h)—on the Saffir–Simpson scale are described as major hurricanes.[13]
