Caribbean hurricane season

Caribbean hurricane season
Name	Caribbean hurricane season
Basin	Atlantic
First storm date	Variable (June–November typical)
Last storm date	Variable
Strongest storm name	See notable storms
Total seasons	Annual

Contents

Overview

The seasonal window typically extends from 1 June to 30 November and is part of the broader Atlantic hurricane season cycle observed by agencies including the National Hurricane Center, NOAA, Centro Nacional de Huracanes de Cuba, Servicio Nacional de Meteorología e Hidrología (Haiti), Servicio Nacional de Meteorología (Dominican Republic), Meteorological Service of Jamaica, Bahamas Department of Meteorology, Belize National Meteorological Service, Cayman Islands Meteorological Service. Peak activity is often in August and September when sea surface temperatures in the Caribbean Sea are at their warmest, and synoptic patterns favor tropical cyclone genesis near the Cape Verde islands trade-wind corridor, the Yucatan Peninsula corridor, and the eastern Greater Antilles.

Tropical cyclones that affect the Caribbean commonly originate from African easterly waves that traverse the Sahara Desert and enter the eastern Atlantic Ocean before developing near the Cape Verde islands, Leeward Islands, or off the west coast of Africa. Genesis is influenced by sea surface temperature anomalies, upper-level wind shear associated with the jet stream, mid-level moisture from the Intertropical Convergence Zone, and large-scale modes such as the El Niño–Southern Oscillation, Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, Madden–Julian Oscillation, and the North Atlantic Oscillation. Steering currents linked to the Bermuda High and transient troughs determine landfall trajectories toward regions like the Yucatan Peninsula, Florida, Cuba, Bahamas, and the Lesser Antilles. Interaction with orography over Hispaniola and Cuba frequently causes rapid intensity changes, and phenomena such as eyewall replacement cycles have been observed in major storms like Hurricane Gilbert (1988), Hurricane Ivan (2004), and Hurricane Maria (2017).

Impacts range from storm surge and coastal inundation along Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea coastlines to extreme inland flooding in mountainous islands like Hispaniola and Puerto Rico. Economic losses have affected sectors tied to Tourism in the Caribbean, Agriculture in Jamaica, Sugar industry, Banana industry in Dominica and Saint Lucia, and Fishing in the Caribbean. Humanitarian crises following storms engage organizations including United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Pan American Health Organization, Red Cross, United States Agency for International Development, Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency, Médecins Sans Frontières, World Bank, and regional mechanisms like the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility. Preparedness measures by national authorities and territorial administrations include early warning systems maintained by National Hurricane Center, evacuation plans used in Florida, Puerto Rico (United States Commonwealth), and building-code adaptations promoted by the Caribbean Development Bank and Inter-American Development Bank.

Projected changes in tropical cyclone activity affecting the Caribbean are analyzed in assessments by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC, and regional studies from Cuban Meteorological Institute, NOAA and University of the West Indies. Trends indicate potential increases in intensity of the strongest storms, shifts in rainfall rates as observed in Hurricane Maria (2017) analyses, and possible changes in frequency tied to modes like the El Niño–Southern Oscillation and Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation. Sea level rise driven by processes reported by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change increases coastal flood exposure for low-lying territories such as The Bahamas and Barbados. Adaptation efforts involve resilience financing from entities like the World Bank and Caribbean Development Bank and policy frameworks influenced by Paris Agreement commitments and regional climate strategies coordinated through the Caribbean Community.