First Tropical Wave for Hurricane Season Detected off African coast

It’s not June yet, but the first tropical wave was detected over the weekend in what weather experts are calling an early 2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season. But while the hurricane season for this region officially opens in June and ends in November, Chief Meteorologist, Ronald Gordon says it is not strange for these weather systems to develop outside of that period.

Ronald Gordon

Ronald Gordon, Chief Meteorologist

“Tropical waves start emerging off the coast of Africa from as early as May and that goes on until about November. So it is not unusual. What typically occurs is that these waves, in the early part of the season – or we haven’t started the hurricane season yet, but these waves that emerge in May are typically what we call low-latitude waves, so they would not affect anywhere of about fifteen north and that’s what we’re seeing. People hear tropical waves and they mistake them for tropical storms. They’re completely different. A tropical wave is just a disturbance in the atmosphere that could result in a strong thunderstorm activity, but it’s not even a tropical depression as yet.”

A normal hurricane season normally comprises fourteen named storms. This year, there are nineteen, making it an above average season.