July Hurricane Climatology
As many folks know, the Atlantic Hurricane Season officially runs from June 1st to November 30th, with the climatological peak of the season coming later in August and into the month of September (the official “peak” of the season falls during the first 2 weeks of September – right around September 10th).
As for the month of July, on average it is the month in which the Atlantic basin produces its first named tropical system (this year we have already had 4 named storms) of the season. July hurricanes are not overly common, though they certainly can occur – as an example: Hurricane Alex which threatened our region on July 4th just two years ago.
Historically, tropical cyclone development in the month of July is still focused over the western part of the basin; however, as the month progresses, a notable shift eastward into the central part of the Atlantic becomes evident, as waters warm and conditions become increasingly favorable across the tropical Atlantic.
Images courtesy of the National Hurricane Center:
