Why the Atlantic is teeming with storms right now

The Atlantic is churning with storms. There are currently five tropical cyclones spinning in the Atlantic Ocean, making for some vivid satellite imagery of an aggressive, bustling sea. As of 2:00 p.m. EST, there are two hurricanes (including rapidly intensifying Sally, which is expected to make landfall Tuesday near the Louisiana-Mississippi border), two tropical storms (organized storms with sustained wind speeds of at least 39 mph), and one tropical depression (38 mph winds or less). It's only the second time on record that five cyclones have simultaneously occurred in the Atlantic. 'Tis the season for many storms: The peak of the active Atlantic hurricane period happens in late August through the first few weeks of September. During this time, hurricanes feed off of warm ocean waters, and the winds that tear storms apart are typically diminished. 2020, however, has already seen an extreme number of Atlantic storms, and could potentially break the record for the most named storms (which meet the criteria for a tropical storm) in a season. So far, 20 storms have formed, largely stoked by unusually warm ocean temperatures. Before 2020, the earliest 20th named storm formed way later, Read more...More about Extreme Weather, Climate Change, Hurricanes, Science, and Climate Environment