Breakdown: July tropical systems- where they usually form & why

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - July is not the most active for tropical systems but we can still get a few that form. The height of hurricane season is in in August and September. One of the reasons why hurricane activity is not as high in July is due to Saharan Dust Layer that’s usually present in the Atlantic and higher wind shear along with drier air which discourages hurricane development.

While July is usually low, we have definitely had years where July has been more active then norm take 2005 when 5 named storms formed. In July of 2020, category 1 Hurricane Hanna made landfall on July 25th, 2020 in south Texas. In 2008, Hurricane Dolly made landfall approximately 80 miles south of Corpus Christi on July 23.

An area to monitor in July for tropical development is the western Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. Storms that form in the western Caribbean usually track northward or westward. The track depends on where Bermuda High is located that sits off the northeast. These storms can track along the Gulf Coast.

Another area to monitor for possible development in July is the warm waters off the Atlantic called the Gulf Stream, which flows near the Bahamas and east coast. This can be an area where we see tropical development in July. Storms that form here usually curve out to sea or can track along the East Coast.

According to research another area to watch in late- July is near the Lesser Antilles. Storms that develop in this area usually track to the west-northwest but can sometimes move north.

Copyright 2022 WMC. All rights reserved.

Click here to sign up for our newsletter!

Click here to report a spelling or grammar error. Please include the headline.