The 2020 Hurricane Season has been very active and historic. Many new records have been set this year. 2020 now holds the record for the MOST STORMS ever in a season 30 named storms. The regular storm names ran out in September and the Greek Alphabet was used for only the 2nd time in history. The old record for the most named storms was set back in 2005 (28). A normal season averages 12 named storms. Sea surface temperatures have been well above average this year. The West African monsoon, which sends tropical disturbances into the eastern Atlantic was extremely active this year especially in the summer. Typically during an El Nino there is strong upper-level winds a lot of wind shear so that can help prevent as many storms from forming but this year we have La Nina. La Nina is known for a lot less wind shear. With little to no wind shear storms are free to intensify sometimes to rapidly intensify. Overall ocean temperatures are rising. For storms to form, sea surface temperatures need to be around 75 to 80 degrees. The first half of the 2020 season had fairly weak storms but that changed big time in the middle and later part of the season especially during September, October and November. 10 tropical systems have met the criteria for rapid intensification in 2020, tying the record from 1995. Four tropical systems dropped more than 40 millibars in 24 hours. Hurricane Eta and Iota both in November had the two fastest pressure drops this year. There have now been SEVEN CATEGORY 5 HURRICANES 5 years in a row. Hurricane Iota this year marked the 5th consecutive year with a major category 5 hurricane. Hurricane Matthew begin the 5 years of category 5 hurricanes back in 2016. There have been Twelve landfalls in the U.S. this year. The 2020 12 landfalls broke the records of nine set back in 1916 and 2016. Many of the landfalls were along the Gulf coast. Five of the landfalls were in Louisiana. So far in 2020, there have been thirteen Hurricanes and Six MAJOR HURRICANES.
