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Hurricane Isaias Breaks 121-Year Record as Atlantic's Latest First Hurricane of 2026
M
Moneycontrol•08-10-2026, 16:34
Hurricane Isaias Breaks 121-Year Record as Atlantic's Latest First Hurricane of 2026
- •Hurricane Isaias formed on October 8, 2026, becoming the Atlantic's first hurricane of the season over four months after it officially began on June 1.
- •The storm is threatening the northern Gulf Coast including Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida with dangerous winds, heavy rainfall, and a potential storm surge of 5 to 7 feet.
- •Scientists attribute the unusually late formation to a strong El Niño that caused high wind shear, which delayed tropical development across the Atlantic.
- •Warm waters and weaker wind shear in the Gulf of Mexico eventually allowed Isaias to rapidly strengthen into a hurricane.
- •Meteorologists and the National Hurricane Center are actively tracking the storm using satellites and hurricane-hunter aircraft ahead of its expected landfall.
Key Questions Answered
Hurricane Isaias became the Atlantic's latest first hurricane in 121 years, matching the date of the 1905 record when it strengthened on October 8, 2026.
Scientists attribute the late formation to a strong El Niño, which increased wind shear over the Atlantic and disrupted developing tropical systems until conditions in the Gulf became more favorable.
Isaias is moving across the Gulf of Mexico toward the northern Gulf Coast, threatening parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida with landfall expected late Friday or early Saturday as a Category 2 storm.
