Additionally, the American cargo ship SS El Faro went missing near Crooked Island and eventually capsized during the storm, drowning 33 people.

TSR's report stressed that uncertainty in this forecast existed due to the unpredictability in the El Niño–Southern Oscillation and North Atlantic sea surface temperatures.

TSR cited what were expected to be cooler than average ocean temperatures across the tropical North Atlantic and Caribbean Sea as reasoning for lower activity.

The combination of cooler than average waters in the tropical and subtropical Atlantic, as well as a developing El Niño predicted to reach at least moderate intensity, were expected to favor one of the least active seasons since the mid-1990s.

The lack of activity was primarily attributed to an atmospheric circulation that favored dry, sinking air over low latitudes to the west of 40°W and westerly wind shear enhanced by El Niño.

[9] Tropical cyclogenesis began early, with Ana developing on May 8, over three weeks prior to the official beginning of the season and far ahead of the long-term climatological average of July 9.

[23] A low-pressure area of non-tropical origins developed into Subtropical Storm Ana at 00:00 UTC on May 8, while situated about 175 miles (282 km) southeast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Throughout the day, convection progressively increased as Ana moved north-northwestward across the warm sea surface temperatures associated with the Gulf Stream.

At 00:00 UTC on May 9, the cyclone attained its peak intensity with maximum sustained winds of 60 miles per hour (97 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 998 millibars (29.5 inHg).

However, the storm soon began weakening after moving away from the warm waters of the Gulf Stream and increasing wind shear also contributed to the deterioration of Ana.

In the state, a storm surge peaking at about 2.5 feet (0.76 m) resulted in erosion and minor coastal flooding,[24] with roads washed out at North Myrtle Beach.

[28] The National Hurricane Center (NHC) began monitoring an area disorganized convection across the northwestern Caribbean Sea in association with an upper-level trough on June 12.

[30] However, possibly due to the rare brown ocean effect,[31] Bill remained a tropical cyclone until late on June 18, when it degenerated into a remnant low over eastern Oklahoma.

[33] Heavy rains fell across parts of the Yucatán Peninsula, with accumulations peaking at 13 in (330 mm) in Cancún, the highest daily total seen in the city in nearly two years.

Traversing the Gulf Stream, convection abruptly increased on July 13 and it is estimated that a tropical depression formed by 06:00 UTC that day, roughly 255 mi (410 km) east-northeast of Cape Hatteras.

Steered generally westward, the cyclone initially struggled to intensify quickly in the midst of abundant Saharan Air Layer, but it managed to attain hurricane intensity around 12:00 UTC on August 20.

On August 25, Erika encountered wind shear and dry mid-level air, causing the storm to weaken slightly and leaving the low-level circulation partially exposed.

The next day, Fred further grew to a Category 1 hurricane and several hours later peaked with winds of 85 mph (135 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 986 mbar (29.1 inHg) while approaching Cape Verde.

After passing Boa Vista and moving away from Santo Antão, it entered a phase of steady weakening, dropping below hurricane status by September 1.

Fred then turned to the west-northwest and endured increasingly hostile wind shear,[57] but maintained its status as a tropical cyclone despite repeated forecasts of dissipation.

By September 6, Fred's circulation pattern had diminished considerably and the cyclone degenerated into a trough several hours later while located about 1,210 mi (1,950 km) southwest of the Azores.

[64] Swells from the hurricane produced violent seas along West African shores, destroying fishing villages and submerging large swaths of residential area in Senegal.

Initially disorganized with a broad area of low pressure, a burst of convection on September 5 led to a more well-defined center, and a tropical depression developed around 06:00 UTC that day while positioned about 175 mi (280 km) south of Cape Verde.

Embedded within a generally favorable environment, Grace strengthened to attain peak winds of 60 mph (95 km/h) around 12:00 UTC on September 6, when a mid-level eye feature was evident on satellite.

Thereafter, cooler waters and increased shear caused the cyclone to weaken to a tropical depression early on September 8 and dissipate at 12:00 UTC the next day while located within the central Atlantic.

[67] Struggling against strong westerly wind shear, Henri attained a peak intensity of 50 mph (80 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 1003 mbar (hPa), possibly due to baroclinity.

Passing south of Cape Verde, its interaction with a convectively-coupled Kelvin wave resulted in increased convection and the formation of an area of low pressure.

However, disorganization prevented its classification as a tropical depression until 06:00 UTC on September 18, while located about 750 mi (1,210 km) south of the southernmost Cape Verde Islands.

After shear and dry air caused much of the convection to diminish, Ida degenerated into a remnant low around 12:00 UTC on September 27 while situated about 1,000 mi (1,600 km) east-northeast of Barbuda.

[69] A non-tropical low developed into a tropical depression on September 28 about 405 mi (650 km) southwest of Bermuda, based on the improved circulation on satellite imagery and deep convection forming near the center.