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Isaias became the first hurricane of the 2026 Atlantic season, ODM says; NHC expects no new cyclones in the next 7 days
ODM said on 15 October that the Atlantic has seen nine named storms and that Isaias became the season's first hurricane, reaching Category 3. The NHC and Météo-France expect no new cyclone activity in the coming days.
By SXM Daily ·
Isaias has become the first hurricane of the 2026 Atlantic season and reached Category 3, Sint Maarten's Office of Disaster Management (ODM) said in a release on 15 October 2026. ODM said the Atlantic has now seen nine named storms, and urged residents and businesses to stay prepared until the season ends on 30 November.
Photo: Rennett Stowe / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
The season so far
According to the release, the Atlantic has seen nine named storms: Arthur, Bertha, Cristobal, Dolly, Edouard, Fay, Gonzalo, Hanna and Isaias. ODM said Isaias "became the first hurricane of the Atlantic hurricane season and also the first major storm – Category 3."
National Disaster Coordinator and Fire Chief Clive Richardson said the Atlantic season for the Caribbean area "has been rather quiet", while the Eastern Pacific season has been considerably more active than normal.
The outlook
Richardson said Colorado State University (CSU) forecasters "this week" forecast "for the next two weeks 60 per cent below-normal storm formation activity."
In its Tropical Weather Outlook issued at 8 PM AST on 15 October 2026, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said that for the North Atlantic, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf, "Tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 7 days."
Météo-France's Atlantic bulletin for Guadeloupe and the Northern Islands, issued at 5:53 PM local time on 15 October 2026, reported "Pas de phénomène cyclonique observé et prévu" (no cyclonic activity observed or expected) over the Atlantic, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico.
What it means for residents
ODM said preparedness "should never be based solely on seasonal forecasts" and reminded residents that "it only takes one tropical storm or hurricane passing near or directly over the island to cause significant damage, disrupt essential services, and threaten lives."
- Follow official forecasts from the Meteorological Department of St. Maarten (MDS) at meteosxm.com or its Facebook page.
- Download the government's Hurricane Season Readiness Guide and Hurricane Tracking Chart at sintmaartengov.org/hurricane.
- Listen to SXMGOV 107.9FM for official information before, during and after a storm.
What happens next
According to ODM's release, the remaining 2026 storm names are Josephine, Kyle, Leah, Marco, Nana, Omar, Paulette, Rene, Sally, Teddy, Vicky and Wilfred. The season runs through 30 November. SXM Daily will update this page as MDS and ODM issue new information.
Sources
- https://www.sintmaartengov.org/news/Pages/press-release.aspx?slug=odm-forecasters-continue-to-favor-below-normal-storm-activity-for-the-next-two-weeks
- https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/MIATWOAT.shtml
- https://meteofrance.gp/fr/cyclone