2014 Atlantic Hurricane Season to Close Below Normal Despite Two Major Hurricanes

http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/2014-atlantic-hurricane-season-below-normal/37129104

For the second year in a row, the Atlantic hurricane season has been below average.

There have been 10 tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Basin in 2014, eight of which have reached tropical storm intensity, AccuWeather.com Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski said. Six of the storms became hurricanes with two of those reaching major hurricane status.

In a normal year based on the past 30-year averages, we see 12 tropical storms in the Atlantic, six of which are hurricanes and three are major, Kottlowski said.

One of the main limiting factors for the year was been extensive dry air during the early and mid-season, Kottlowski said.

"The persistent dry air kept most of the basin more stable than normal, leading to less thunderstorms," he said.

The last time three consecutive below-normal Atlantic hurricane seasons occurred was when the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation was negative and created cooler-than-normal water temperatures during the 1960s through the early 1990s, Kottlowski said.