The first warning for tropical development has been issued in the Atlantic, well before the official start of hurricane season.
AccuWeather hurricane experts say there is a low risk for preseason tropical development potential in the Caribbean starting later next week.
“Preseason and early-season storms often move quite slowly and can produce tremendous amounts of flooding rainfall,” AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva said in a release. “Never let your guard down if your area is at risk of tropical impacts from an unnamed storm.”
While hurricane season begins June 1, DaSilva stated that families, businesses, government leaders, and emergency officials in areas prone to tropical storm and hurricane impacts to continue preparing now for the fast-approaching season, “which could bring impacts before the official start of the Atlantic hurricane season on June 1.”
Here’s what to know.
When is hurricane season?
Traditionally, hurricane season starts on June 1 and ends on Nov. 30.
But tropical weather is becoming more common in May, according to AccuWeather.
“There have only been four years when a tropical system did not spin up in May since 2015,” according to AccuWeather.
What are the expectations for this year’s hurricane season?
The AccuWeather 2025 hurricane forecast is predicting 13-18 named storms this year, with 7-10 of those storms expected to strengthen into hurricanes.
A report from AccuWeather noted that three to five of those storms are predicted to strengthen into major hurricanes, which is a Category 3 hurricane or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Category 3 hurricanes have maximum sustained winds of 111-129 mph.
AccuWeather hurricane experts predict that three to six storms can directly impact the U.S. this year.
Five hurricanes and one unnamed subtropical storm made landfall in the U.S. in 2024.
Is there a hurricane forming now?
It’s not exactly a hurricane forming, but rather the seed of what could become one.
According to a release from AccuWeather, “A large, slow-spinning area in the atmosphere could develop somewhere around Central America, overlapping with part of the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean around the middle of May. This phenomenon, known as a gyre, can sometimes lay the groundwork for a tropical depression or tropical storm formation.”
“We’re starting to get into that time of year where we need to keep an eye on the Caribbean,” DaSilva stated in a release. “At the very least, a wetter pattern down across Central America and then up into the Western Caribbean is expected.”
This system is not expected to bring any tropical downpours or hurricanes to New England, but rather in Jamaica, Cuba, and other islands across the western Caribbean. Some downpours could also reach South Florida.
“Right now, while we cannot rule it out, it does not look like a track to toward the U.S. is most likely,” DaSilva stated. “Any risk would not be until at least May 20 and likely not until May 22.”
He added, “We’re coming out of the winter season, so we want people to start transitioning their mindset into tropical mode as we head toward the end of May, because there could be something lurking down there in the middle to late portions of the month.”
What are the names for hurricanes in 2025?
According to the National Hurricane Center, they are Andrea, Barry, Chantal, Dexter, Erin, Fernand, Gabrielle, Humberto, Imelda, Jerry, Karen, Lorenzo, Melissa, Nestor, Olga, Pablo, Rebekah, Sebastien, Tanya, Van and Wendy.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: When is hurricane season 2025? Forecasters spot brewing weather system