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In What Months Do Hurricanes Often Occur?

Hurricanes slam into coastal regions across the globe on a yearly basis, wreaking havoc and disrupting lives. These storms, with their distinctive counter-clockwise formation, officially become hurricanes (also known as tropical cyclones) when their winds reach 74 miles per hour. Hurricanes form over the warm seas near the equator; where they are most active, and when, is dependent on their location within the seven tropical cyclone basins. Worldwide, the most active month is September.

Atlantic
- The Atlantic basin encompasses the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic. In this basin, 97 percent of the hurricanes occur between the official season dates of June 1 and November 30. While the season start date of June 1 has held steady, over the decades the end date has been pushed out from October 31 to the current season end date of November 30.
Northwest Pacific
- Hurricane, or tropical cyclone, wind speeds can exceed 155 mph at their peak.
  
  The Northwest Pacific basin reaches out from the dateline to Asia and includes the China Sea. This region has no official storm season because tropical cyclones occur year round. The fewest, however, occur in February or March; the most activity is seen in late August or early September.
Northeast Pacific
- The area extending from Mexico to around the dateline is what makes up the Northeast Pacific basin. Hurricane season here is broad, extending from May 15 to October 30, with the storm activity peaking in late August and early September.
North Indian
- The North Indian basin includes the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal and has two season peaks. The most severe cyclones in this area are seen from April to June, and again from late September to early December.
Southwest Indian
- Massive storms can leave flooding and heavy damage in their wake.
  
  Extending east from the coast of Africa is the Southwest Indian basin. Tropical cyclone season here begins in late October or early November and peaks twice -- once in mid-February and then again from early March until May.
Southeast Indian/Australian
- The Southeast Indian/Australian basin takes up where the Southwest Indian basin leaves off, at about 100E, and extends over Australia and the surrounding area. Cyclone activity in this area also runs along the same seasonal pattern, beginning in late October or November. The season has the same two peaks, mid-February and early March until May, although there is a more defined season lull in February.
Australian/Southwest Pacific
- The Australian/Southwest Pacific is primarily over the ocean, at about 142E to about 120W, and its season begins in late October or early November. After reaching its peak in late February or early March, the season subsides in the early part of May.

Nature