The hurricane season started calmer than usual, but don't be fooled by that, say meteorologists. It is rare not to have designated hurricanes by this time of year; it has happened only twice since 1960. However, weather experts expect them to come.

The dry, dusty air blowing from the Sahara Desert off the west coast of Africa has prevented atmospheric convection from triggering the usual storms. The Atlantic hurricane season is expected to run from June to November.

In this regard, Jeff Weber, an atmospheric scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, said: "While we managed to avoid a few early shots, I still expect a strong hurricane season."

Weather experts say climate change is one of the factors. Weber described how there has been a series of persistent high-pressure ridges that he calls "a bump on the planet" — the same thing that led to wildfires in North America last year — where it now "floats" over Europe and Asia causing severe dryness there, so the lack of moisture may delay the hurricane season.

But increasing weather activity in the Atlantic basin — which includes the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico — indicates that this unusual pattern may be coming to an end. Weber says, "I wouldn't be surprised if it ramped up significantly here in September," noting that sea surface temperatures are warm, and he expects them to fuel 10 to 14 storms and up to three major hurricanes, likely extending into November.

Also, meteorologist Bob Robishaw from the Canadian Hurricane Center told CBC News that weather models expect a hurricane in the coming days, as climate change may play a role in reducing the number of hurricanes, but those that form may be stronger, as happened when Hurricane Dorian struck Atlantic Canada three years ago.

Currently, storms named Daniel, Earl, and Fiona are developing. This is something NASA is closely monitoring after being forced to scrub the planned Artemis I launch on Monday due to an engine temperature issue. NASA must be cautious of Earth's weather as the 32-story rocket stack is scheduled to launch during peak hurricane season in Florida, the state with the highest number of tropical hurricanes in the United States.