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The 2026 Atlantic hurricane season broke the record for the latest formation of its first hurricane, with the basin yet to produce one as it nears its climatological peak.

AccuWeather reported that the latest date for the first Atlantic hurricane of a season during the satellite era was September 11. That happened in both 2002 and 2013. Because no hurricanes formed by September 11, the 2026 season has passed that benchmark.

"RECORD BROKEN! No Hurricanes have formed so far in the Atlantic this season, which is now a new record for the latest without one in the Satellite Era since 1966," Florida meteorologist Matt Devitt wrote in a post on X Saturday. "Only 1907 and 1914 didn't record a hurricane the entire season in modern history. Will 2026 join them? Stay tuned."

Read More on Weather

Five named storms have formed so far in the Atlantic this season, but none have become hurricanes. National Hurricane Center (NHC) data shows that the season so far has produced two fewer named storms, three fewer hurricanes and one fewer major hurricane than the 1991-2020 averages for this point in the year.

AccuWeather attributed the limited activity partly to disruptive wind shear and plumes of dry air associated with Saharan dust. Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva said the less-favorable environment was expected to persist the rest of the season—through November—and could result in lower overall activity.

In this satellite image provided by U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Hurricane Florence churns through the Atlantic Ocean toward the U.S. East Coast on September 12, 2018.

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"It seems extremely unlikely at this point we will have a hurricane by Friday, which means this season will set the record for the latest [first] hurricane," AccuWeather meteorologist Nick Arman told Newsweek. "If you include all recorded years, counting before satellites going back to the late 1800s, there have been some years that recorded zero hurricanes. However, this has not occurred since 1914 and 1907, well over 100 years ago.

"Another record to watch is the number of hurricane and major hurricanes. There have been a number of years not to record a major hurricane [Category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale], the most recent being 2013. It is still very uncommon though. However, there have only been two years with zero hurricanes [1907 and 1914], and two years with only one hurricane [1925 and 1905]. None of these are in the satellite era as well."

AccuWeather’s experts are watching an area off the southeastern U.S. where a slow-moving front could increase thunderstorm activity. It assigned the area a low chance of tropical development through the middle of September.

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What Is El Niño?

El Niño is the warm phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, or ENSO, a recurring Pacific climate pattern that can affect weather worldwide. Its counterpart, La Niña, is the cool phase of the cycle.

Typical El Niño effects can include stormier weather across the southern U.S., drier conditions in some northern areas and changes in hurricane activity.

How El Niño Can Influence Atlantic Hurricanes

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says El Niño generally reduces Atlantic hurricane activity by increasing vertical wind shear across the basin.

The stronger shear can make it more difficult for thunderstorms to organize and develop into hurricanes, according to NOAA. The agency says El Niño can have the opposite effect in the eastern and central Pacific, where conditions often become more favorable for storm development.

Atlantic Storms That Have Formed in 2026

The NHC’s season summary listed five Atlantic tropical storms as of September 8:

2026 Atlantic Storm Names

Below are the official names for the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season:

What Happens Next

As of Saturday, the NHC does not expect tropical cyclone activity in the Atlantic during the next seven days.

Contact Newsweek editors on this story: John Fitzpatrick, Dave Siminoff and Anthony Murray.

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