Brewing system could break 2026 Atlantic hurricane season's streak if storm develops
A system in the Gulf has the potential to break the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season's streak of no hurricanes.
According to the latest outlook from the National Hurricane Center, there is a 30% chance of a tropical depression or tropical storm forming within the next two days.
RELATED: There have been zero hurricanes in 2026 Atlantic hurricane season so far | Here's why
That chance goes up to 70% over the next week.
This potential storm comes with only two months left in the season, which ends at the end of November.
However, we are closely watching to see if we pass October 8, which would break a record for the latest first hurricane on record in a season.
Right now, there is a cluster of thunderstorms in the southwestern corner of the Gulf, off the coast of Mexico.
If the system does organize into a storm, 6abc Action News meteorologists say it has plenty of warm water to work with, as temperatures in the region are in the low to mid-80s.
Regardless of the outcome, the area is forecast to - at the very least - get some heavy rain along the Gulf Coast of Florida.
If it does become a tropical storm, it would be named Isaias.
If that name sounds familiar, you might remember Tropical Storm Isaias in 2020.
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This system comes amid a particularly quiet Atlantic hurricane season. Typically, this far in hurricane season, we would expect to have an average of 14 named storms, seven hurricanes, with at least three being major hurricanes.
However, so far this year, there have only been eight named storms and zero hurricanes.
One came close but didn't quite reach the 74 mph status needed to be considered a hurricane.
6abc Action News Meteorologist Karen Rogers says El Niño is why it has been so abnormally quiet.
With El Niño, in the Atlantic Basin, there is increased vertical wind shear, where the tops of the storms are "blown off," preventing storms from forming, Rogers explains.
If the season ends with zero hurricanes, it would match records that were set over 100 years ago. There have only been two seasons where there have been no hurricanes and those were in 1907 and 1914.
