Colorado State University has lowered its forecast for the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season again, now calling for well below-normal activity, as a strengthening El Niño is expected to help suppress tropical development across the Atlantic basin.
A passing tropical wave may bring a brief chance of showers and thunderstorms to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands by midweek, though the wave is not expected to develop into a tropical system. Heat, Saharan dust, and breezy conditions are expected to remain the main weather concerns.
Tropical storm and flood watches have been issued for the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico as a tropical wave continues moving toward the Caribbean. The disturbance is forecast to reach the local area around Tuesday night.
The U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico experienced interesting and significant weather events throughout 2023. A preliminary report released by the National Weather Service (NWS) in San Juan, Puerto Rico, noted that several weather-related records, predominantly temperature records, were shattered across both territories.
On June 15, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) held a seminar in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to discuss climate change and disaster preparedness issues in the USVI and Puerto Rico.
After Hurricane Maria unleashed devastation across the Caribbean in 2017, the island of Dominica which suffered US$1.3 billion in damage announced plans to become the “world’s first climate-resilient nation.” The initiative was created with the hope that the island will rebuild stronger and be more prepared for future natural disasters exacerbated by climate change.