As an unusual event, experts have described the fact that in August 2022 there were no hurricanes, much more so if one takes into account that a record season was presented last year, where four of these storms were recorded simultaneously in one week.

And it is that the eighth month of the year has been characterized by being the scene of some of the most devastating hurricanes in recent years, such as Katrina in 2005 or Andrew in 1992, so this year it was surprising that only three storms received a name, and none became a hurricane, an event that had not occurred since 1997.

What do the experts say?

BBC Mundo consulted on this phenomenon with Jim Dale, a British Weather Services meteorologist, who attributes this situation to a combination of factors, including the combination of dry and stable air, with the presence of dust from the Sahara desert, which prevents the formation of storms, and strong winds that have suppressed the generation of hurricanes.

"However, there is no convincing explanation as to why the first hurricane of the season, which began on June 1, only appeared in September. There is a kind of chaos, which means that in 2021 we have five weather events at the same time and this year, in over a month, we haven't seen a major one," Dale said.

Climate Change is not the Only Reason

The meteorologist points out that although climate change is surely related, there is no single answer to this phenomenon, while clarifying that the season is not over and it is possible that different hurricanes will appear soon.

September Changes the Landscape

The first hurricane of the season also went beyond the normal parameters that characterize these phenomena.

Precisely, Danielle, the first hurricane of the season, which appeared in the first days of September, in addition to being the latest to appear in the Atlantic since 2013, was formed in an unusual place for this type of phenomenon.

Taking into account that for hurricanes to gain power they need a warm current, Dale points out that “this is evidence of how climate change is affecting the presence of these phenomena. Increasingly to the north, hot currents can be found, which will continue to drive the appearance of hurricanes in this region of the planet,” he indicated.

Dale warns that despite seeing a period with fewer hurricanes than expected, "we cannot forget that the predictions indicate that this would be an above-average season and it remains to be seen how it will end," he highlighted.