CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Peak hurricane season is upon us on the 25th anniversary of Hurricane Fran. The category three hurricane made landfall on North Carolina in September of 1996.
A monster of a storm, Hurricane Larry is currently churning in the open Atlantic. The major hurricane is on a forecast path towards the Island of Bermuda. Right now, the track consistently shows the forecast cone just east of the island. Larry will make it closest approach to Bermuda by Thursday with projected max sustained winds of 110 mph. Larry does not pose any direct threats to the U.S. east coast. Meanwhile, beaches along the east coast may experience a rough surf, and an elevated risk for rip currents as Larry pushes northwestward.
Another disturbance may soon gain some traction in the Gulf of Mexico. We're watching an area of disorganized showers and storms near the Yucatan Peninsula.
There's a slight chance of development over the next five days as it move northeastward into the Gulf of Mexico, which favors some development by midweek. We'll continue to update you on its progress.
The peak of hurricane season in the Atlantic basin is September 10th. Historically, the number of storms per 100 years rises during late August through the month of September and last until the start of October.
Activity in the Atlantic basin so far in 2021 is above normal according to the National Hurricane Center's data. The month of August was above normal with six named storms, three hurricanes, and two major hurricanes. Based on climatology from 1991 to 2020, 3 or 4 named storms with one or two becoming hurricanes in August is typical over the 30-year period.
The 11 named storms through the end of August this year is well above the 30-year average of 6 to 7 named storms by the end of the month.
Hurricane season ends November 30th.
