2025 Atlantic hurricane season

The 2025 Atlantic hurricane season was an annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation in the Atlantic basin, featuring bursts of intense tropical cyclone development over warmer-than-normal waters between long and quiet stretches with low tropical activity. Three Category 5 hurricanes formed this season, the second most of any year on record, behind only the 2005 season, which had four. Among the three was Hurricane Melissa, the strongest tropical cyclone of the year globally, among the most intense Atlantic hurricanes on record, as well as the strongest tropical cyclone to make landfall in Jamaica on record. Due in large part to these systems, and despite a below-average number of named storms and hurricanes, the season had an above-normal accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) rating of 130 units. The season officially began on June 1, and ended on November 30. These dates, adopted by convention, historically describe the period in each year when most subtropical or tropical cyclogenesis occurs in the Atlantic Ocean. Overall, 13 named storms formed, with 5 of those becoming hurricanes, of which 4 strengthened into major hurricanes (Category 3 or higher on the Saffir–Simpson scale). The first system, Tropical Storm Andrea, formed on June 23, marking the latest start to an Atlantic season since 2014. Also in June, Tropical Storm Barry struck Veracruz causing widespread flooding in eastern Mexico. Then, in July, Tropical Storm Chantal hit South Carolina, the only system to make landfall in the United States this season, producing heavy rainfall across the Carolinas. No hurricanes made landfall in the United States this season, for the first time since 2015. In August, Hurricane Erin reached Category 5 strength. It made landfall in Cape Verde as a tropical storm and had indirect effects on the eastern Caribbean and the Atlantic coast of the United States. Afterwards, unfavorable conditions caused tropical cyclogenesis to cease for nearly a month through the end of August and the first two weeks of September, during the typical peak of the hurricane season. In mid-September, activity resumed with the formation of Hurricane Gabrielle in the central Atlantic. Gabrielle rapidly intensified into a Category 4 hurricane before weakening and affecting the Azores and Spain as an extratropical cyclone. Next came Hurricanes Humberto and Imelda. Humberto attained Category 5 strength, but did not make landfall. While developing into a tropical cyclone, Imelda caused significant flooding in the Eastern Caribbean before strengthening off the East Coast of the United States and passing close to Bermuda. In October, Tropical Storm Jerry brought heavy rain to portions of the Lesser Antilles. Later that month, the final and strongest storm of the season, Hurricane Melissa, intensified into a Category 5 hurricane south of Jamaica and made landfall there near peak intensity, resulting in catastrophic destruction. Melissa dissipated on October 31, with no storms forming during the month of November, in turn concluding the season. Collectively, the storms during the season caused at least 126 fatalities and resulted in at least US$12 billion in monetary losses, mostly due to Melissa.