Atlantic hurricane season pulls off feat not seen in 90 years
Hurricane Humberto joined past hurricanes Erin and Gabrielle in forming a trio of powerful storms not seen in the record books since 1935.
Evening tropical update on Tropical Depression 9, Category 5 Humberto
The National Hurricane Center is tracking Tropical Depression 9 in the southwest Atlantic and Hurricane Humberto which is in the central Atlantic.
MIAMI – The Atlantic hurricane season may still be running a bit behind schedule when it comes to the number of their namesake storms, but what the season has lacked so far in quantity it has made up for in quality, and just pulled off a feat not seen in 90 years.
Hurricane Humberto, swirling over 450 miles off the northern Leeward Islands in the Caribbean, rapidly intensified into a major hurricane (Category 3+ on the Saffir-Simpson scale) Friday, according to the National Hurricane Center.
(FOX Weather)
Humberto joins the other two hurricanes so far this season – Erin and Gabrielle – in reaching major hurricane status. It is now the first time since 1935 that the first three hurricanes of an Atlantic season reached such powerful intensity, according to Colorado State University hurricane expert Phil Klotzbach.
The Atlantic tropics basin has roared to life in the past couple weeks, with former Hurricane Gabrielle and Hurricane Humberto still on the map, and Tropical Depression Nine expected to become Imelda sometime over the weekend.
From a numbers count, the season is still running a bit below average. Imelda, if christened, would become the 9th named storm of the season, while the average would be 10 named storms by now. Average wise, we should be at our fifth hurricane by Sunday, and instead, we'll still be awaiting what future-Imelda's plans entail and if it could become the fourth hurricane.
But by reaching a trio of major hurricanes now, we have already matched the entire season average of three.
Klotzbach's team predicted 16 named storms this season, with eight forecast to reach hurricane strength and four to reach major hurricane status. October is among the busiest months of the hurricane season, but it may have to supercharge to reach those levels.
This graphic shows the latest predictions for the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season from Colorado State University.
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Even if the overall storm count ends up below average, it only takes one major hurricane making landfall to leave an indelible mark on the season.