Did You Know?: Effect of Saharan dust on 2022 hurricane season

FOX 7 meteorologist Adaleigh Rowe explains how the Saharan dust flowing into the gulf has been affecting the 2022 hurricane season so far and what to expect over the coming months.

AUSTIN, Texas - We've seen a relatively calm Atlantic hurricane season so far this year, and the reason behind that is all that Saharan dust.

Things have been very active in the Eastern Pacific currently with two named storms: Hurricane Frank and Tropical Storm Georgette. However, that hasn't been the case in the Atlantic.

So far this season, we've had three named tropical systems, the last one being Tropical Storm Colin, which dissipated near North Carolina on July 3rd. We haven't seen much tropical development due to Saharan dust making its way across the Atlantic, pushing through the Gulf, and it's been keeping the tropics very quiet.

However, as we move into August, the chance for tropical storms and hurricanes does start to tick up. So don't let your guard down just yet because the Atlantic will likely have an uptick in tropical activity as we push into these next few weeks.

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