Last night, Theta formed in the open Atlantic, breaking the record for most named storms. This is the 29th named storm of Hurricane Season 2020, surpassing 2005’s record of 28.
Theta is currently classified as a tropical storm with 70 mile per hour winds. Category 1 classification begins at 74 mile per hour winds. Gratefully, this is not going to be a threat in the United States.
Often by November, Louisiana residents think we have seen the worst of hurricane season with cold fronts moving through and Gulf of Mexico water temperatures cooling down considerably.
Hurricane Eta is just one of many, historically, that reminds us Hurricane Season does not end until November 30th. This was the 5th Category 4 hurricane in November on record. This was also the fastest intensifying November storm on record, as its pressure has dropped 55 millibars in 18 hours. Eta’s windspeeds went from 70 miles per hour at 1AM last Monday to 150 miles per hour by 7PM last Monday.
The latest Category 4 hurricane on record is Hurricane Lenny, which made landfall on November 17, 1999. Currently, the 2020 season has outperformed 2005’s record for most named storms, with Eta having been the last of that season on December 30, 2005.
Early on, NOAA’s forecast for August-November being “extremely active” months came to fruition, given every name on the 2020 Atlantic Names List was used before October, causing the Greek alphabet to kick in! The last time that happened was the 2005 hurricane season, which spurred Katrina.
As far as this year’s timeline, however, we have far surpassed 2005’s when the Greek Alphabet first kicked in on October 22, 2005 for Alpha. Beta then formed October 27, 2005. Gamma, Delta, Epsilon and Zeta all formed during November 2005 on the 15th, 22nd, and 29th, respectively.
The National Hurricane Center did not start presenting a list of names for storms until 1953. If all names are used up on the original list each season, then the Greek alphabet kicks in. 2020’s hurricane season has produced thirty tropical depressions, twenty-nine of which have become tropical storms. In addition, there have been twelve hurricanes, five of which became major hurricanes.