Second Hurricane Could Form in Atlantic; Will it Make Landfall?

A second hurricane could form in the Atlantic Ocean in the coming days prompting many to question if it could make landfall.

On Tuesday, the National Hurricane Center issued a public advisory for Tropical Storm Earl, which is currently located in the Atlantic region, southeast of Florida.

"Earl is moving toward the north near 7 mph (11 km/h). A slow northward to north-northwestward motion is expected to continue through Wednesday. A faster motion toward the north-northeast and northeast is expected Wednesday night through Thursday night," the National Hurricane Center said. "Maximum sustained winds are near 65 mph (100 km/h) with higher gusts. Strengthening is forecast, and Earl is expected to become a hurricane during the next couple of days."

The update from the National Hurricane Center comes just a few days after Hurricane Danielle became the first hurricane of the 2022 Atlantic season. Danielle was previously a tropical storm but eventually upgraded to a hurricane; however, officials with the National Hurricane Center have said that Danielle poses no threat to land.

"Maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 75 mph (120 km/h) with higher gusts. Gradual weakening is forecast during the next several days," the National Hurricane Center said about Danielle on Tuesday.

In the public advisory issued for Tropical Storm Earl, the National Hurricane Center said that there are currently no hazards threatening land at this time but noted that "Interests in Bermuda should monitor the progress of Earl."

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) previously forecasted an above-average 2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season, with 14 to 21 named storms and at least six to 10 hurricanes. A few months later, the NOAA updated its forecast and said that there was a 60 percent chance for an above-average season, a decrease of 5 percent from the earlier forecast.

Prior to Danielle becoming a hurricane, many thought that the current season was off to a slow start with no hurricanes throughout the summer months.

A spokesperson for the National Hurricane Center previously told Newsweek that the only seasons without a named storm in August were "1961 and 1997."

"The difference between the remainder of those seasons is quite stark—1961 ended up extremely active for the rest of the year, while 1997 continued to be a quiet year," the spokesperson said. "Now keep in mind that the hurricane season is not over...It only takes one landfalling hurricane to make it a bad season for you, and we still have many months to go in hurricane season."

Newsweek reached out to the National Hurricane Center for additional comment on Tropical Storm Earl.