September 10th, the height of the hurricane season

TALLAHASSEE, Florida (WCTV) – Even at the end of summer, storms flare up in the tropics. September is considered the peak of the hurricane season, based on data collected by the National Hurricane Center.

“We usually see the majority of the hurricanes in the Atlantic basin season, around 86% of them occurring in August, September and October. The climatological high point of the season is September 10th. We tend to see a small secondary peak of activity in mid-October. ”Kelly Godsey, Senior Service Hydrologist / Meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Tallahassee said.

On average, there are usually four named storms in September, with one of those storms intensifying into a major hurricane. So far, two storms in the Atlantic have intensified in September. Larry, which turned into a major hurricane, and Mindy, which landed on St. Vincent Island Wednesday night.

The rise in storms at the beginning of autumn is due to rising sea surface temperatures.

“But the water takes a little longer to heat up, and we don’t see this peak until late August and September, when most of the Atlantic is favorable to tropical development,” Godsey described.

In addition, the west coast of Africa typically sees an increase in activity towards the end of the season.

“We see these waves moving from the west coast of Africa. They come to the Caribbean, some even as far as the Gulf of Mexico, where they develop there. When we get into September, it’s an entire pool that is lit for activity. ”Godsey said

So while we enjoy brightly colored leaves and pumpkin-flavored drinks, meteorologists continue to carefully examine the tropics.

Although the traditional peak of the hurricane season lasts until October, the hurricane season lasts until the end of November.

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