Storm season in and around the Atlantic ocean has been largely dormant so far, but experts believe that could change as soon as this weekend.
Only one hurricane has formed in the region so far this year, and those same experts feel that the next major event is nearly one month behind schedule.
Conditions around a tropical storm off the coast of Bermuda are showing signs of incredible sustained strength, and weather services are warning coastal residents about what’s to possibly come over the next few days.
According to the National Weather Service, Tropical Storm Gabrielle could become a hurricane within a matter of hours.
Where is Gabrielle Headed?
NWS forecaster David Roth noted that the storm is expected to eventually reach a sustained wind speed of 105 mph, which would make it a Category 2 hurricane.
The organization’s National Hurricane Center says that the storm is not expected to make direct landfall in Bermuda, but that it could create seriously dangerous conditions for those who venture into the water.
“They’ll notice there are some higher waves Tuesday,” Roth said about those who live around the eastern Bermuda coast. “On Sunday and Monday their easterly winds might increase some. But it doesn’t take much wind to produce rip currents.”
The storm is also expected to miss the American mainland, but swells could reach areas like the mid-Atlantic and certain portions of North Carolina and Virginia.
Americans have avoided the usual slew of serious storms over the summer and now into the early fall, but they’re not quite in the clear.
Experts believe that the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season is set to end around November 30, which means that there are two more months of potential storms ahead. There were a total of 11 hurricanes in the Atlantic last year, and five of those developed into what are categorized as “major storms,” or at least Category 3 hurricanes.
The Potential For Devastation
Hurricane Milton was the most devastating of these storms.
It developed into a Category 5 hurricane before it made landfall in the Gulf of Mexico and the southeastern United States. In total, Milton caused over $34 billion in damage and property loss, and there were at least 45 known fatalities as a result of the devastation.
Atmospheric conditions in certain areas of the world – changes in wind speed, dry conditions and reduced rainfall, to name a few – are among the reasons for the reduction in storms this season.
We’ll see if the change in conditions and expected cooler weather over the next few months results in an increase in the amount of storms.
