Tropical Storm Theta is record-breaking 29th storm of 2020 — and there could be more
Tropical Storm Theta formed in the Atlantic Monday night. It poses no threat to land but was notable nonetheless, making 2020 a record-breaking hurricane season.
Theta is the 29th named storm of the season, breaking the record of 28 storms previously held by 2005, the most infamous year for hurricanes in modern history. This year is only the second time the Greek alphabet has been used to name storms after the regular list was exhausted.
In 2005, the season ended with Tropical Storm Zeta in late December. Zeta was the 27th storm of the season, but the National Hurricane Center belatedly reclassified an unnamed disturbance as a tropical storm after the season was over, bringing the total to 28.
Now the hurricane center is tracking Theta, which was deep in the Atlantic and posed no threat to land Monday night. Next up could be Iota, a tropical wave in the Caribbean Sea with a 50% chance of strengthening in the next five days.
NOAA predicted this would be an above-average season early on, and mid-season it upped its expectations to call for the highest number of storms it had ever predicted — 25.
But 2020 blew through that in mid-October.
One name is left on the hurricane list, and it’s only September. Why so many storms?
Some storm watchers point to climate change as the reason behind this hyperactive season, but hurricane scientists say that the culprit is more likely a seasonal weather pattern known as La Nina, among other factors.
Science shows that climate change does make hurricanes stronger and wetter, with higher storm surge and more rain, but NOAA studies suggest that it doesn’t affect how likely it is that hurricanes form. If anything, NOAA found, climate change could lead to fewer hurricanes in the future — although the surviving storms are more likely to be powerful Category 3, 4 and 5.
Hurricane season doesn’t formally end until November 30, but if 2005 was any indication, it could extend well into December and even 2021.
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