2018 Atlantic hurricane season (Hyperactive Version)/Part 1

The 2018 Atlantic hurricane season was an extremely active season, with a total of 100 tropical cyclones forming. It shattered 2005's record for named storms before the season even officially began.

Hurricane Alberto
In late December 2017, an area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms formed along a cold front. The thunderstorms broke away from the front, and eventually consolidated into a surface low by December 30. Although deep convection began to burst along the southwestern quadrant on December 31, the circulation remained poorly defined and winds were light. However, after an ASCAT pass showed the circulation had become better defined, the system acquired sufficient organization to be designated Subtropical Depression One at 00:00 UTC on January 1 - while it was still 2017 in the United States. 6 hours after formation, the depression strengthened into Subtropical Storm Alberto based on ship reports of a falling pressure and increasing winds. Situated over cool sea surface temperatures, Alberto struggled to strengthen over the next day. However, at 00:00 UTC on January 2, Alberto transitioned into a tropical storm as it had developed more central convection, and an eye feature began developing. Alberto's eye began to clear out and become better defined, while high instability in the upper levels of the troposphere allowed unusually deep convection to fire despite sea surface temperatures of around Alberto unexpectedly began to quickly intensify, reaching hurricane status by 06:00 UTC January 2. By 18:00 UTC that day, that eye had become very clear, surrounded by an eyewall of strong convection. Alberto was upgraded to a category 2 hurricane at that time with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph, making it the first category 2 hurricane in the Atlantic in January on record. After this, cooler waters and higher shear resulted in Alberto beginning a slow weakening. Alberto passed near the northwestern Azores as a minimal hurricane on January 4. Alberto then turned extratropical by 18:00 UTC THAT day. Alberto's extratropical remnants eventually brought heavy rains to the British Isles, where one fatality was reported.