The official start of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season was last Saturday, June 1. However, you should not expect the tropics to ramp up overnight. Here is a look at what the month of June typically ushers in across the tropics.
Atlantic Basin Easing Into Tropical Activity in June
Do not let the usual slow start to the month of June in the tropics fool you. While the month is not generally a hotbed of activity, it is still capable of producing tropical storms and hurricanes that can impact the mainland U.S. In fact, tropical weather features usually form closer to the U.S. coastline this early in the season. This is the time of the year in which the primary tropical event development is not happening in the eastern and central portions of the Atlantic as is the case in the back half of the season.
The most likely areas of the Atlantic basin to see tropical weather come together in June include off the coast of the southeastern U.S., the Gulf of Mexico, and in the northwestern corner of the Caribbean Sea. Tropical weather that fires up this month is also more likely to form closer to land due to the warmer water temperatures. This means that there is a higher chance of landfall in the U.S., particularly along the Gulf Coast and up into the Southeast.