The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season is officially the most active ever recorded


This year's Atlantic hurricane season has just officially become the most active ever.
The National Hurricane Center late on Monday said that Subtropical Storm Theta has formed in the Northeast Atlantic. It's the 29th named storm of the hurricane season, and "this breaks the single season record for the most named storms previously held by the 2005 Hurricane Season," the National Hurricane Center said.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration previously warned in August that this year's hurricane season could be "one of the busiest on record," at the time predicting up to 25 named storms. By September, forecasters had run out of planned storm names and had to begin using the Greek alphabet. This was only the second time ever that the National Hurricane Center had run out of traditional names, CBS News reports, with the first time being in 2005.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Theta officially breaking the record comes after Tropical Storm Eta made landfall in Lower Matecumbe Key, becoming "the 12th named storm to make landfall along the U.S. this season, breaking the previous record of nine set in 1916," CNN reports. Still, The New York Times notes that "in terms of the intensity, duration and frequency of storms, 2020 does not match the record set in 2005, when eight hurricanes were classified as Category 3 or higher."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
John Kenney's 6 favorite books that will break your heart softly
Feature The novelist recommends works by John le Carré, John Kennedy Toole, and more
-
Book reviews: 'Buckley: The Life and the Revolution That Changed America' and 'How to Be Well: Navigating Our Self-Care Epidemic, One Dubious Cure at a Time'
Feature How William F. Buckley Jr brought charm to conservatism and a deep dive into the wellness craze
-
What are Pell Grants and who do they benefit?
The Explainer These are grants, not loans — meaning students do not have to repay the funds, but they must first meet certain conditions
-
EPA is reportedly killing Energy Star program
speed read The program for energy-efficient home appliances has saved consumers billions in energy costs since its 1992 launch
-
US proposes eroding species protections
Speed Read The Trump administration wants to change the definition of 'harm' in the Environmental Protection Act to allow habitat damage
-
Severe storms kill dozens across central US
Speed Read At least 40 people were killed over the weekend by tornadoes, wildfires and dust storms
-
Rain helps Los Angeles wildfires, risks mudslides
Speed Read The weather provided relief for crews working to contain wildfires, though rain over a burn area ups the chances of flooding and mudslides
-
Death toll rises in LA fires as wind lull allows progress
Speed Read At least 24 people have died and 100,000 people are under mandatory evacuation orders
-
Biden cancels Italy trip as raging LA fires spread
Speed Read The majority of the fires remain 0% contained
-
Fast-spreading Los Angeles wildfires spark panic
Speed Read About 30,000 people were under an evacuation order as the inferno spread
-
Hundreds feared dead in French Mayotte cyclone
Speed Read Cyclone Chido slammed into Mayotte, a French territory in the Indian Ocean