Beryl is a historic start to the hurricane season

Florida Public Radio Emergency Network (FPREN) Storm Center | By Leslie Hudson

After what was forecasted as a well-advertised historic start to the 2024 hurricane season, it took a few weeks for the tropics to heat up. But once it did, the month of June became an unprecedented start to the season. Exceptionally powerful Category 4 Beryl formed the earliest ever for a June Atlantic hurricane. It’s now a Category 5 hurricane. But Beryl’s, location, a few hundred miles southeast of the Windward Islands, is noteworthy, too.

To put Hurricane #BERYL in perspective, here's every single Atlantic hurricane that has reached Category 4+ intensity before the 4th of July.

There's been none. Beryl is the first of its kind. pic.twitter.com/YyoV0PKK5C
— Michael Ferragamo (@FerragamoWx) June 30, 2024

The central and eastern Atlantic traditionally become more active in August, in part because ocean temperatures haven’t had time to warm and fuel developing systems. This year, however, the Atlantic basin has seen above-normal water temperatures and a lack of wind shear due to the transition from El Niño season to La Niña season, both of which are fuel for tropical development. But nearly unprecedented warm sea surface temperatures and little to no inhibitive wind shear allowed Beryl to go from a tropical storm to a major hurricane in just 48 hours.

Digital meteorologist Leslie Hudson says now forecasters are looking at more records that could be broken as the hurricane season continues.

It’s important to remember that the height of hurricane season usually runs from August to October. And the National Hurricane Center is predicting one of the busiest seasons so far. The average number of named storms in a season is 14. But the National Hurricane Center is forecasting almost 25 named storms. While all of those won’t make landfall, it is likely to be an extraordinary season.