As the vicious days of oncoming hurricanes starts to wane, we are left to reflect on the lives of millions from the 10 consecutive hurricanes that ravaged over the Atlantic. An average year sees 12 tropical storms, six that usually end up becoming hurricanes. This year we saw 17 named storms, 10 growing to become hurricanes, six of which became category three and up. Easily ranking to be one of costliest seasons in terms of damage.
Of the storms that brewed, there were Arlene, Franklin, Irma, Maria, Harvey, and Jose, born from the perfect flourishing conditions for hurricanes to grow. A warmer Atlantic, a cooler Pacific, and fewer pulses of dry air from the Sahara helped surge these storms into massive fruition.
A major factor of these storms is that they were at peak intensity when hitting land, compared to storms usually being their strongest over the sea. With storms coming in breaking record after record it is hard to imagine that it could have been even worse. That is why forecaster's are using this opportunity to look ahead for the 2018 season. This is done by looking at the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle in the Pacific.
Current projections indicate that the intense warming or cooling of the Pacific significantly affects the atmosphere over the Tropical Atlantic, which could be neutral territory for the start of next year's season. A neutral ENSO cycle could foreshadow a near-normal season, but that's just for now. A few months will tell us a better story of next summer's hurricane events.
Original Article by Dennis Mersereau found here: https://www.popsci.com/2017-hurricane-season
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