'Unusual' Pattern Noticed Ahead of Hurricane Season

A rare calm has settled over the Northern Hemisphere just weeks before the official start of hurricane season, and forecasters are watching closely. As of May 16, not a single tropical cyclone has formed anywhere north of the equator. Something that’s only happened five other times since 1950.

According to meteorologist Phil Klotzbach of Colorado State University, on average 3.5 storms would have already formed by this point in the year. The drought includes all tropical systems—hurricanes...