21 Named Storms In 2021 Hurricane Season
[Updated] The active 2021 Atlantic hurricane season has officially concluded having produced 21 named storms, including seven hurricanes of which four were major hurricanes – which makes it the third most active year on record in terms of named storms.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA] said, “The active 2021 Atlantic hurricane season officially concludes today having produced 21 named storms [winds of 39 mph or greater], including seven hurricanes [winds of 74 mph or greater] of which four were major hurricanes [winds of 111 mph or greater].
“This year was the third most active year on record in terms of named storms, it marks the sixth consecutive above-normal Atlantic hurricane season, and this was the first time on record that two consecutive hurricane seasons exhausted the list of 21 storm names.
“Scientists attribute the heightened hurricane activity in recent years to the warm phase of the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation that began in 1995 and favors more, stronger and longer-lasting storms. The Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation is thought to be driven by a combination of internal climate variability and changes over time in small airborne particles, often referred to as aerosols, over the North Atlantic.
“However, the relative contributions of internal variability and aerosols to the observed Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation remain uncertain. Additionally, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Sixth Assessment Report, released in August 2021, projects with high confidence that the global proportion of tropical cyclones that reach very intense [category 4-5] levels, along with their peak winds and rainfall rates, are expected to increase with climate warming at the global scale.”
Update: The BWS posted the graphics online below, and said, “Yesterday marked the official last day of the 2021 hurricane season; a quiet end to a busy season. The season produced 21 named storms [winds of 39 mph or greater], including seven hurricanes [winds of 74 mph or greater] of which four were major hurricanes [winds of 111 mph or greater].
“According to NHC, this year was the third most active year on record in terms of named storms. It also marks the sixth consecutive above-normal Atlantic hurricane season and was the first time, on record, that two consecutive hurricane seasons exhausted the list of the 21 storm names. This above-average hurricane season was also accurately predicted by NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center as seen in May and August outlooks.
“Locally, a few systems came near enough to Bermuda to cause concern, but we were fortunate to avoid the worst impacts this year. The two tropical systems, Hurricane Larry in September and Major Hurricane Sam in October, resulted in tropical storm force winds locally along with dangerous surf and sea conditions.
“Although no direct hits occurred to the Island, Major Hurricane Sam enters the record books as the strongest hurricane on record to get within 200 nm of the island. Sam was a high-end Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds near 140 mph [120 knots] at the time of its closest approach approximately 183 nm [210 miles] to our east.
“Now, as we look ahead to the coming winter months, remember to stay weather-ready with the latest information at www.weather.bm and here on our Facebook page.”
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