The beginning of September marked the half-way point of the 2023 Atlantic Hurricane Season. It also means we are heading into “peak hurricane season” here in Florida. As such, we thought it would be informative to do an update post detailing what has happened so far and what is to be expected.
Recap of the first half: June through August 2023
Before the 2023 season began experts predicted a normal or near-normal storm season. It was originally believed that El Niño would limit the amount of activity. However, after an active first half that prediction has changed. On August 10th the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration changed the near-normal level of activity prediction to an above-normal activity.
The latest NOAA predictions put the entire 2023 hurricane season activity at “14-21 named storms (winds of 39 mph or greater), of which 6-11 could become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or greater.” Their prediction also estimates that 2-5 of these hurricanes could be major hurricanes (category 3 or higher).
The first half of the season has been active, with 11 named storms so far through September 5th. You can see the list of named storms in the graphic above as well as in the table below. You can also see which of the 2023 hurricane names have and have not been used yet.
Named Atlantic Storms Through September 19, 2023
Below is an updated list of the named storms that have happened in the 2023 Atlantic Hurricane Season through 09/19/2023. We will update this list as additional storms happen.
| Storm | Date (Month) | Category |
| Arlene | June | Tropical Storm |
| Bret | June | Tropical Storm |
| Cindy | June | Tropical Storm |
| Don | July | Category 1 Hurricane |
| Emily | August | Tropical Storm |
| Franklin | August-September | Category 4 Hurricane |
| Gert | August-September | Tropical Storm |
| Harold | August | Tropical Storm |
| Idalia | August | Category 4 Hurricane |
| Jose | August-September | Tropical Storm |
| Katia | September | Tropical Storm |
| Lee | September | Category 5 Hurricane |
| Margot | September | Category 1 Hurricane |
| Nigel | September | TBD as of September 19th – estimated to be a category 3 hurricane |
Update 09/07/2023
Hurricane Lee was classified as a hurricane on September 06, 2023. It has become the 12th named storm of the 2023 Atlantic Hurricane Season.
Update 09/19/2023
Hurricane Margot (not a post tropical depression) formed in September 2023. Hurricane Nigel is expected to become a category 3 hurricane later this week.
