What to expect as the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season kicks off
Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30
The Atlantic hurricane season is here once again. June 1 marks the beginning of the six-month period during which conditions are favourable for tropical storm and hurricane formation.
Experts anticipate a busy season ahead with an above-average number of named storms throughout the Atlantic basin.
Anyone across the Canadian and U.S. east coasts, as well as around the Caribbean, should pay close attention to tropical forecasts and stay prepared through the summer and fall months.
Keep up with the latest on hurricane season at The Weather Network’s hurricane hub
Above-average season predicted
Meteorologists with NOAA, the Canadian Hurricane Centre (CHC), and Colorado State University (CSU) all expect a busier-than-usual Atlantic hurricane season this year.
The latest forecast from NOAA and the CHC calls for 13-19 named storms, with 6-10 of those systems growing into hurricanes, and several of those storms becoming major hurricanes. Their colleagues at CSU are calling for similar levels of activity.
Unusually warm waters throughout the Atlantic, the lack of El Niño, and an active west African monsoon season could all contribute to the expected uptick in tropical cyclone activity across the basin this year.
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Coastal residents should remember that, no matter how many storms form in a season, it only takes one storm threatening land to make for a serious and life-threatening situation.
A typical season peaks by September
The bulk of systems form close to land early in the season. Cold fronts and clusters of thunderstorms often seed the development of these early-season systems.
Tropical activity pushes farther out to sea as ocean waters and the atmosphere both warm beneath the hot summer sunshine.
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We begin seeing tropical waves roll off the western coast of Africa around July, peaking in frequency during August and September. It’s these disturbances that seed the development of powerful, long-lived systems that can spend more than a week traversing the Atlantic basin.
While storms are possible throughout the entire season, the second week of September is the climatological peak of hurricane activity across the Atlantic.
First storm will be named Andrea
Forecasters with the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) name tropical storms based on rotating lists that are used once every six years. This year’s list of names begins with Andrea, alternating between masculine and feminine names to end with the name Wendy.
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Atlantic storm names skip the letters Q, U, X, Y, and Z for lack of replacement names should a storm cause so much damage it warrants retirement.
Last year, the names Beryl, Helene, and Milton were retired from future use. They’ll be replaced with the names Brianna, Holly, and Miguel when the list is reused in 2030.
If we see more than 21 named storms in a season—which happened in 2005 and 2020—the NHC will fall back to a supplemental list of names that begin with Adria, Braylen, and Caridad.
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