Forecast: September may set record for latest first Atlantic hurricane

2013 could set a record for the latest first Atlantic hurricane, forecasters say, as none of the season's six tropical storms have delivered any hurricanes. During the satellite era, the latest first hurricane to form on record was Gustav in 2002, which reached hurricane status on Sept. 11, AccuWeather said Tuesday. Prior to satellites observations, the latest first hurricane on record was during the World War II era, when it 1941 the first detected tropical storm formed on Sept. 11 and a second tropical storm finally strengthened to the season's first hurricane on Sept. 16. Atmospheric conditions have so far held off hurricanes this season, forecasters said. "Even though dry air has backed off a little in recent days, strong westerly winds aloft continue to interrupt tropical development for almost every budding system," AccuWeather hurricane expert Dan Kottlowski said. Still, the season is likely to pick up soon, he said. "Hurricane formation in the Atlantic is overdue and is soon is likely to shift in favor of multiple tropical systems," he said. Multiple forecast models are suggesting significant possibilities of development of a hurricane over the Atlantic but not until around Sept. 10 or later, forecasters said.