The official start of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season is June 1, but AccuWeather hurricane experts are already keeping an eye on the potential for tropical development come early June.
"A close eye will have to be kept on the far southwestern Atlantic during the first and second weeks of June as atmospheric conditions are expected to become more favorable for tropical development," said AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva.
That region of the basin, adjacent to Florida and the Southeast U.S. coast, as well as the Bahamas and Cuba, is a typical breeding ground for early-season tropical development (often called "home-brew" development) in June, which is the first official month of the season.
"This time of year, we usually watch for dips in the jet stream or old cold fronts as catalysts for tropical development," said DaSilva.
One such dip is expected to arrive during the first half of the new month, funneling in deep moisture from the Caribbean that will cause at least an uptick of shower and thunderstorm activity, if not the formation of a tropical rainstorm or tropical depression.
