Warm ocean temps may lead to early Cape Verde storm season start [Video]

NORFOLK, Va. — The North Atlantic sea surface is warm, really warm. In fact, water surface temperatures have been record-warm since March of 2023.

Currently, water temperatures in the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico are in the lower to mid-80s and the warm waters extend through most of the Atlantic basin.

This can contribute to several issues. We’re already starting to see increased tropical activity, and the Cape Verde storm season may get an earlier start.

Tropical storms and hurricanes that form in the eastern Atlantic near the Cape Verde Islands and move across the ocean are more typical in late summer, around August and September, after sea surfaces have warmed.

But with the water so warm already, we are seeing some activity across the ocean that bears …