Rafael Became The 11th Hurricane Of The Season. That's Rare, Except Recently.

Eleven hurricanes have developed in the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, a total that's rare in over 170 years.

Rafael joined the parade: Rafael became the 11th hurricane of the season as it was near the Cayman Islands and western Cuba in the western Caribbean Sea.

The tracks of Rafael and the previous 10 hurricanes are shown on the map below.

Rare company: Dating to 1851, only eight other Atlantic hurricane seasons have generated 11 or more hurricanes.

Three of those have been within the past 20 years, most recently in 2020, and also in 2010 and 2005. The historic 2005 season holds the record for most hurricanes of any season, when 15 hurricanes formed.

T​he other seasons with at least 11 hurricanes were 1995, 1969, 1950, 1933 and 1887, though data before the era of satellites is less certain when it comes to the exact intensity of storms, especially those far from land.

O​f these years, only 1950 had a slightly larger fraction of storms become hurricanes - 11 of 16 - than 2024.

An average hurricane season has generated about about seven hurricanes, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Warmer than average - even record-breaking at times - sea surface temperatures have been abundant this year. That's a big driver for why almost two-thirds of the 17 storms strengthened into hurricanes in areas where the atmospheric environment has little wind shear and/or dry air.

Not just numbers: More important than how many hurricanes is where they go. Out of the 11 hurricanes, only Isaac, Kirk and Leslie have not directly affected land areas as tropical cyclones.

Five of them – Beryl, Debby, Francine, Helene and Milton – made continental U.S. landfalls, a number that also that isn't common in any single season. Ernesto and Oscar affected multiple land areas in the Caribbean.

(For even more granular weather data tracking in your area, view your 15-minute forecast in our Premium Pro experience.)

T​wo Cat. 5s: Beryl became the earliest Category 5 on record when it entered the Caribbean on July 1.

T​hat was followed by Milton's extreme rapid intensification to a Category 5 when it was over the southwest Gulf of Mexico in early October. Milton's 180-mph winds made it one of only nine other Atlantic hurricanes to hit that wind threshold or higher.

T​here have been only five other years since 1950 that have generated two or more Cat. 5 Atlantic hurricanes, according to Colorado State University tropical scientist Phil Klotzbach.

M​ORE ON WEATHER.COM

-​ What November In Hurricane Season Usually Looks Like

-​ How Often Have Five US Landfalling Hurricanes Happened In One Season?

-​ 2024's Cat. 5 Hurricanes