A False Sense of Security: The 2026 Hurricane Season's Elusive Promise The Atlantic hurricane season is looming, and while the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts a relatively quiet year, this notion is misplaced.
The prediction of eight to 14 named tropical systems, with three to six becoming hurricanes and one to three potentially Category 3 or higher, is tempered by the influence of El Niño.
El Niño is expected to emerge this summer, bringing a tongue of hot water across the Pacific that can stir up winds in the Atlantic, making it harder for hurricanes to form.