Could El Niño mean there are no Atlantic hurricanes this year?

What the report says

BBC World News reports that the Atlantic hurricane season has remained unusually quiet, with no hurricane forming in September for the first time in more than 30 years. The article says that, with two months left in the season, forecasters see a growing possibility that the Atlantic could pass the year without a single hurricane, which would be unprecedented in the satellite era.

The report attributes much of the calm to a strong El Niño, the Pacific climate pattern that often suppresses Atlantic storm development. According to the BBC, the US National Hurricane Center and Colorado State University both expect below-normal activity, citing disrupted wind patterns and increased wind shear over the Atlantic. The National Hurricane Center’s preseason outlook had already anticipated a quieter season than usual.

The BBC notes that four named tropical storms formed in September — Edouard, Fay, Gonzalo and Hanna — but most stayed over open water and did not intensify into hurricanes. By contrast, the eastern North Pacific has been very active, with above-average storm energy and multiple hurricanes, including major ones.

The article adds historical context: the last year in the database without a recorded Atlantic hurricane was 1914, before modern satellite monitoring. That means a hurricane-free season would be notable both meteorologically and historically, while also underscoring how El Niño can shift storm activity from the Atlantic toward the Pacific.