US forecasters are currently monitoring an area of ​​thunderstorms over the Cape Verde Islands off the west coast of Africa.

This could develop into a new tropical storm in the coming days, but that remains uncertain.

As for the rest of the season, high sea surface temperatures remain conducive to further storms.

There is also the likely development of the natural La Niña weather phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean, which often promotes the formation of Atlantic hurricanes because it affects wind patterns.

But further activity will depend on other atmospheric conditions remaining favorable, and these are not easy to predict.

Either way, this season has already highlighted how warm seas, fueled by climate change, are already increasing the chances of the strongest hurricanes – something that is expected to continue as the world continues to warm.

“Hurricanes occur naturally, and in some parts of the world they are considered part of life,” explains Kevin Trenberth, a leading scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, US.

“But human-induced climate change is giving them a boost and increasing the risk of major damage.”