Vigorous 2020 hurricane season breaks a record for storms
Hurricane scientists expected a busy Atlantic storm season. They got one.
The National Weather Service announced the formation of Subtropical Storm Theta on Monday night, the "record-breaking 29th named storm" of the Atlantic hurricane season (tropical storms, which are organized cyclones with wind speeds of at least 39 mph, earn names, and some intensify into hurricanes). Previously, 2005, the infamous year of Hurricane Katina, held the record with 28 named storms.
This year's 29 named storms are the most in the satellite record, which began in 1966. (Importantly, meteorologists today have advanced technology to see and detect tropical storms that may have gone unnoticed and unnamed earlier in the 20th century.) Still, for only the second time ever, the World Meteorological Organization ran out of the 21 pre-chosen names for the 2020 season, so weather agencies defaulted to Greek letters (most recently Theta, which is spinning in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean).
A confluence of factors that proved favorable for storm formation stoked 2020's exceptionally dynamic season:
Tropical storms and hurricanes feed off of warm ocean waters, aka "hurricane fuel." From these bathtub-like waters (over 80 degrees Fahrenheit), moisture evaporates into the air, ultimately giving storms energy to form and intensify. In 2020, Atlantic and Caribbean waters were generally much warmer than usual.
As predicted, there was generally a lack of hurricane-shredding winds blowing through the Caribbean this year, which can tear apart storms or hinder their formation.
The "seeds" of tropical storms — clusters of thunderstorms rolling off of Africa — were quite active this season. Once these storms hit the warm Atlantic, they can pick up steam.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Overall, the oceans globally are now absorbing almost unfathomable amounts of heat each year as the planet relentlessly warms. But how ocean heating will influence future storm activity is a hot area of atmospheric research. Future storms are a complicated mix of an atmosphere and ocean that are both interacting and changing.
In the coming years and decades, hurricane researchers don't actually expect more storms overall. Rather, they expect powerful storms to grow more intense. "We think there will be an uptick in the most intense storms," Brian Tang, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Albany, told Mashable in July.
Rainfall from hurricanes is also expected to increase, as storms soak up more moisture from the oceans. And as sea levels inevitably keep rising, the storm surge from powerful storms will mean higher surges of water into the coast, resulting in dangerous floods.
The 2020 hurricane season produced some monstrous storms, like Category 4 storm Hurricane Laura, which pummeled Louisiana. Overall, the season has produced five major storms (Category 3 or above, meaning 111 mph or higher). The five major storms this year are tied for fourth in the record books.
Mark was the science editor at Mashable. After working as a ranger with the National Park Service, he started a reporting career after seeing the extraordinary value in educating people about the happenings on Earth, and beyond.
He's descended 2,500 feet into the ocean depths in search of the sixgill shark, ventured into the halls of top R&D laboratories, and interviewed some of the most fascinating scientists in the world.
