– 1 7 ▁named ▁storm s , ▁ 5 – 8 ▁h urr ican es , ▁and ▁ 2 – 4 ▁major ▁h urr ican es . ▁ ▁Season al ▁summary ▁ ▁The ▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁Atlantic ▁h urr icane ▁season ▁officially ▁began ▁on ▁June   1 , ▁ 2 0 1 6 . ▁It ▁was ▁an ▁above ▁average ▁season ▁and ▁the ▁most ▁active ▁since ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁producing ▁a ▁total ▁of ▁ 1 5   named ▁storm s , ▁ 7   h urr ican es , ▁and ▁ 4   major ▁h urr ican es . ▁The ▁first ▁storm , ▁H urr icane ▁Alex , ▁developed ▁on ▁January   1 2 , ▁while ▁the ▁final ▁system , ▁H urr icane ▁Otto , ▁made ▁a ▁c ros so ver ▁to ▁the ▁Eastern ▁Pacific ▁on ▁November   2 5 . ▁The ▁higher - than - normal ▁activity ▁was ▁attributed ▁to ▁many ▁factors . ▁Most ▁significantly , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁strong est ▁El ▁Ni ño ▁events ▁recorded ▁in ▁history ▁rapidly ▁diss ip ated , ▁transform ing ▁to ▁cool - neut ral ▁conditions ▁across ▁the ▁Pacific ▁in ▁late ▁summer . ▁This ▁led ▁to ▁war mer ▁than ▁normal ▁sea ▁surface ▁temper atures ▁across ▁the ▁Atlantic , ▁though ▁the ▁subt rop ical ▁regions ▁were ▁slightly ▁cool er ▁than ▁normal ; ▁slightly ▁lower ▁than ▁normal ▁sea ▁level ▁press ures ; ▁and ▁reduced ▁wind ▁she ar , ▁especially ▁in ▁the ▁Car ib bean ▁Sea , ▁which ▁had ▁experienced ▁record ▁values ▁of ▁wind ▁she ar