El Nino Calms Storm Season Thus Far

As predicted, El Nino is suppressing tropical storm development in the Caribbean and Atlantic.

In August, government forecasters said they expected El Nino’s wind shear to quell tropical storm activity. That would mean fewer named storms in the season that lasts from June through November.

Gerry Bell of NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center says that’s happening. Bell says the El Nino is offsetting the warm ocean temperatures and other wind patterns that normally fuel storms this time of year in the peak of the season.

Tropical Storm Ana became the first named storm of this season on Aug. 15. Five more storms have formed since then, including hurricanes Bill and Fred, which later weakened over the open Atlantic.