NHC tracks four disturbances in the Atlantic

The National Hurricane Center is currently monitoring four tropical disturbances in the Atlantic, including one in the Gulf of Mexico that is expected to bring heavy rains to parts of the Gulf Coast, the agency said in an alert Friday morning.

There has been a surprising lull in hurricane activity in the Atlantic in recent weeks, and the numerous disturbances but no active storms remain unusual.

No named storms have formed since August 12. There hasn't been such a long stretch between August and September without hurricane formation since 1968, says Phil Klotzbach, chief hurricane researcher at Colorado State University, where Bill Gray pioneered seasonal hurricane forecasting 40 years ago.