Sunday marked the beginning of the Atlantic hurricane season. Fortunately, no tropical activity is expected during the first week of June.
We can partly thank Saharan dust for keeping things quiet as we head into hurricane season. Saharan dust from the desert is lofted into the air and carried by the trade winds across the Atlantic Ocean. This helps limit tropical formation and intensification due to its dry and warm nature.
It is common to have Saharan dust outbreaks that reach Florida's coast during summer.
While tropical activity may be quiet for now, outlooks issued by NOAA and forecasters from Colorado State University are predicting an above-average season.
These outlooks don't give a number of direct hits, but rather how many tropical storms and hurricanes are estimated to form due to ocean and atmospheric conditions.
However, in June, based on historical tropical formation, we have seen tropical cyclones develop in the Gulf, western Caribbean and the western Atlantic.
Now is the best time to prepare your home before we see activity ramp up, which on average occurs in the early to middle half of September.
The Atlantic Hurricane Season runs through the end of November.
