The Atlantic has not named a storm since Bertha on July 19. Will August end without a new named storm?

Tropical Storm Cristobal formed in the Atlantic on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, becoming the season's third named storm with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm developed roughly three and a half weeks after Bertha, the previous named system, formed on July 19.

Cristobal organized from a tropical wave that had tracked off the west coast of Africa, making it the first storm of the season to form away from the U.S. coastline; Arthur and Bertha had both developed near the Gulf Coast. Its formation came even as record-strong wind shear tied to a developing El Nino had suppressed Atlantic storm activity through much of the summer, limiting the strength and lifespan of the season's earlier systems.

Forecasters were tracking additional disturbances at the time, including one given roughly an 80% chance of developing into the season's next named storm, Dolly, underscoring that the quiet stretch since Bertha was a lull rather than an end to seasonal activity.

The question asked whether August would end without a new named Atlantic storm. It did not: Cristobal formed on August 12, before the end of the month. A majority of the community, 57%, had predicted the month would end with no new storm, meaning the majority prediction did not match the actual outcome.