FOX Tracks Early-June Tropical Threat off Southeast Coast as First Atlantic Storm Usually Forms After June 20
Updated
Updated · Fox Weather · May 20
FOX Tracks Early-June Tropical Threat off Southeast Coast as First Atlantic Storm Usually Forms After June 20
2 articles · Updated · Fox Weather · May 20
Early June could bring tropical development off the Southeast U.S. coast, with FOX Forecast Center monitoring a potential low-pressure area in the Atlantic as hurricane season opens June 1.
A stalled front is expected to collide with deep tropical moisture trapped over the Gulf and Caribbean by strong U.S. high pressure, fueling widespread thunderstorms and heavy rain.
Any system that forms would likely stay disorganized because of strong wind shear, keeping heavy rain—not wind—the main threat; a tropical depression would need sustained winds below 39 mph before possible strengthening.
The setup is notable because the first Atlantic named storm typically does not form until June 20, and El Niño conditions usually suppress Atlantic development.
Long-range forecasts currently favor waters off the Southeast over the Gulf for development, while the rain would also ease one of the worst droughts on record in parts of the Southeast.
Why is a tropical storm threatening the US coast during a record-breaking El Niño?
Will the first storm bring needed rain to the parched Southeast or just destructive flooding?
Can new AI forecasting predict if this early storm will defy the season's quiet outlook?