The 2025 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, yet we’ve seen remarkably little activity compared to the hyperactive seasons of recent years. By this point in 2024, we had already tracked five named storms, including two hurricanes. This year, three named storms, Andrea, Barry and Chantal, have reached tropical storm strength. Only Chantal had impact on the U.S. mainland, causing minor coastal flooding and brief power outages along parts of the Southeast coast. So, despite record global sea surface temperatures, why have storms failed to form?