Several possible studies
Story checked
Eerily Quiet: Hurricane Activity in The Atlantic Ocean Has Just Passed an Ominous Milestone : ScienceAlert (opens in a new tab)
sciencealert.com · 2026-09-16
Short answer
Several possible studiesNo clear answer.
More than one paper fits the article's details, and none fits well enough to single out. Checking claims against the wrong study would be worse than not checking them at all.
Checked against the study summary. The full text wasn't available, so some details couldn't be settled either way.
Share this check
The story
Eerily Quiet: Hurricane Activity in The Atlantic Ocean Has Just Passed an Ominous Milestone : ScienceAlert
sciencealert.com · 2026-09-16
The story’s checkable claims.
Read the original story (opens in a new tab)NewsLink checks it
Several studies could be the source of this story.
More than one paper fits the article's details, and none fits well enough to single out. Checking claims against the wrong study would be worse than not checking them at all.
Open claim evidenceSearch result
Several studies could fit.
More than one paper fits the article's details, and none fits well enough to single out. Checking claims against the wrong study would be worse than not checking them at all.
Evidence layer
Claim by claim
What the story asserts. With no source study, there is nothing to check these against.
Reading mode
Scan verdicts. Open evidence only when needed.
Claim 1 of 5Not checkedThe Atlantic has gone farther into the year than ever before without a hurricane forming, reaching September 12 without one since modern satellite tracking began in 1966.View evidenceHide evidence
As statedfurthest into the year ever; by a day
Not checked
NewsLink could not identify one source study, so this claim was not compared against a paper.
Claim 2 of 5Not checkedThe story says this quiet Atlantic season hints at anomalous atmospheric action because early September is the climatological peak of hurricane season.View evidenceHide evidence
Not checked
NewsLink could not identify one source study, so this claim was not compared against a paper.
Claim 3 of 5Not checkedThe article says an exceptionally strong El Niño event is suppressing storm formation in the Atlantic through wind shear, dry air, and downward winds that can prevent tropical cyclones from forming or strengthening.View evidenceHide evidence
Not checked
NewsLink could not identify one source study, so this claim was not compared against a paper.
Claim 4 of 5Not checkedThe article reports that Atlantic storm activity is around 7 percent of normal, with five tropical storms this year, while the Pacific has seen above-normal activity including 16 named storms in the eastern Pacific and 20 in the central Pacific.View evidenceHide evidence
As statedaround 7 percent of normal; 5 tropical storms; 16 eastern Pacific named storms; 20 central Pacific named storms
Not checked
NewsLink could not identify one source study, so this claim was not compared against a paper.
Claim 5 of 5Not checkedThe story says the current El Niño may keep strengthening, could be among the strongest on record, and is forecast by the WMO to persist through February 2027, which could make next season's Atlantic hurricane season extra busy.View evidenceHide evidence
As statedpossibly the strongest El Niño on record; through February 2027
Not checked
NewsLink could not identify one source study, so this claim was not compared against a paper.
Method layer
No single source study was found.
NewsLink still surfaces nearby research so you can inspect the field instead of a single paper.
Nearby research
No exact source, but these papers are close.
PubMed, Europe PMC, Crossref · 15 candidate papers
Increase in Cape Verde hurricanes during Atlantic Niño.
Nature Communications · 2023 · PubMed, Europe PMC
Atlantic hurricane season 2023: El Niño and extreme Atlantic Ocean heat are about to clash
2023 · Crossref
Assessing future changes in tropical cyclone activity in the North Atlantic basin through dynamical downscaling.
2025 · Europe PMC
The Roles of Climate Change and Climate Variability in the 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season.
Scientific Reports · 2018 · PubMed, Europe PMC
Hurricane Bonnie (1998) : maintaining intensity during high vertical wind shear and an eyewall replacement cycle
Crossref
And 10 more candidates considered.