Overview
- The 2026 Atlantic hurricane season officially begins Monday, June 1, and forecasters reiterated the seasonal outlook at the start of the season.
- NOAA and Colorado State University project a below‑normal season with roughly 8 to 14 named storms, 3 to 6 hurricanes, and 1 to 3 major hurricanes.
- The National Hurricane Center reports the Atlantic basin looks quiet for the next several days with no immediate expected formations.
- Forecasters warn that a developing El Niño, large Saharan dust plumes, and cooler sea surface temperatures across the Main Development Region should raise wind shear and suppress widespread early development.
- The East Pacific is more active early in the season with two monitored disturbances including one with about an 80% seven‑day development chance, and officials urge preparedness because a single storm can still produce severe coastal impacts especially from the warm Gulf and western Caribbean waters.