Isaias has strengthened into the first Atlantic hurricane of the 2026 season, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The storm currently carries wind speeds of 80 miles per hour and a minimum pressure of 975 millibars. NOAA projects Isaias will intensify to a category 2 hurricane as it moves toward the US northern Gulf coast, with landfall expected Friday. The agency anticipates the storm will bring flash flood and isolated river flooding risks to the region.
The late formation of this season's first hurricane reflects an unusually quiet Atlantic hurricane season. NOAA attributes the quiet conditions to strong El Niño activity. The first Atlantic hurricane has not formed this late in the season since October 8, 1905, according to NOAA data. That 1905 date predates the satellite era of the 1960s, when hurricane tracking technology began detecting storms that did not make landfall, expanding the historical record of Atlantic hurricanes.