THE 1995 AND 1996 NORTH-ATLANTIC HURRICANE SEASONS - A RETURN OF THE TROPICAL-ONLY HURRICANE

Hurricane activity over the North Atlantic basin during 1995 and 1996 is compared to the combined hurricane activity over the previous four years (1991-94). The earlier period produced a total of 15 hurricanes compared to a total of 20 hurricanes over the latter period. Despite t his similarity in numbers, the hurricanes of 1995 and 1996 were genera lly of the tropical-only variety, which marks a substantial departure from activity during the early 1990s. The return of tropical-only hurr icanes to the Atlantic basin is likely the result of several global an d local factors, including cool SST conditions in the equatorial centr al and eastern Pacific and warm SSTs in the tropical Atlantic. The hur ricane activity of 1995 and 1996 is more reminiscent of activity of so me seasons during the early and mid-1950s.