June 1st not only signifies the beginning of meteorological summer, but it also marks the official start of hurricane season. In the Atlantic Basin, hurricane season runs from June 1st to November 30th. The peak typically occurs in the mid-August to late October time frame.
In 2020, we’ve had two named tropical storms before the official start to the season: Arthur and Bertha. As of June 2nd, we’ve got our third named tropical storm, but first named storm now in official hurricane season: Cristobal.
Both Arthur and Bertha impacted parts of the Carolinas, bringing heavy rain and strong winds. Cristobal is still strengthening and is farther south, in the Gulf of Mexico. All eyes will be on Cristobal as it continues to churn in the Gulf through the rest of the week.
Naming tropical storms is done by the World Meteorological Organization. There are six lists of names, which are then rotated through each year. Here are the names on this year’s list:
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting a busy hurricane season this year. The original article containing the graphic below can be found here.
