Fay restrengthens into Tropical Storm as brewing 'Super' El Niño continues to dominate the Atlantic
Experts at NOAA and FOX Weather still caution people to not let their guard down. Climatologically, about 40% of the season’s hurricane activity still remains.
Exclusive analysis: Tropical Storm Nolo forecast to become hurricane, nor'easter charging north
It's an extremely active week in weather, as a nor'easter charges up the East Coast. ready to bring strong winds, flash flooding and rough surf to the Northeast. FOX Weather Hurricane Specialist provides exclusive analysis on the status of Hurricane Polo and Tropical Storm Nolo, which is forecast to impact Hawaii.
THE TAKEAWAY
- NHC is monitoring Invest 90L just off the coast of West Africa.
- Tropical Depression Fay restrengthened into Tropical Storm Fay.
- The Atlantic is off to its quietest start on record in the satellite era (1966).
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is monitoring an area to watch for tropical development just off the coast of West Africa amid the slowest start to an Atlantic hurricane season in the satellite era (since 1966) as hostile El Niño-driven winds have dominated much of the basin.
(FOX Weather)
The NHC has designated this tropical wave — an area of disturbed weather with a burst of thunderstorms — as Invest 90L after it moved off the coast of Africa.
The hurricane center is giving 90L high odds of developing over the next seven days.
WHAT IS AN INVEST DURING HURRICANE SEASON?
"The El Niño-driven prohibitive upper winds don't quite reach that corner of the Atlantic, although the atmospheric environment is still marginal," FOX Weather Hurricane Specialist Bryan Norcross said Tuesday.
2026 Atlantic Basin storm names.
(FOX Weather)
If 90L does strengthen into a tropical storm, it would be named Gonzalo.
The NHC expects 90L to move northward and potentially bring gusty winds and rain to the Cabo Verde islands.
LATEST FROM FOX WEATHER HURRICANE SPECIALIST BRYAN NORCROSS
After briefly becoming a tropical depression on Wednesday, Fay restrengthened into a tropical storm on Thursday.
Tropical Storm Fay was located about 990 miles west-southwest of the Azores with sustained winds of 50 mph.
Latest date of first hurricane formation.
(FOX Weather)
Fay approached, but failed to reach hurricane strength amid the Atlantic's quietest start to hurricane season in the satellite era, with just five named storms and no hurricanes.
The only years without recorded hurricanes are 1914 and 1907. However, as FOX Weather Hurricane Specialist Bryan Norcross notes, hurricanes could have formed in those years that went undetected because they remained far from land and ships at sea.
Satellite imagery of the Atlantic on Sep. 23, 2026.
(CIRA)
According to NOAA, El Niño is the main driving factor behind the dearth of Atlantic tropical activity. The strong winds produced by the climate pattern hinder tropical development; calm conditions are generally more conducive to hurricane formation.
However, experts at NOAA and FOX Weather still caution people to not let their guard down. Climatologically, about 40% of the season’s hurricane activity still remains.