Correlation between August-October sea surface temperatures (SST's) and August-October hurricane frequency for the North Atlantic Basin, including the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico, for the years 1968-1992.

Correlations are multiplied by 100. Positive correlations (solid lines) indicate that hurricane activity is highest during those seasons in which SST's over the North Atlantic basin are anomalously warm in the main development tropical cyclone development region, between 10 and 20 degrees North, from the Caribbean to the west coast of Africa. These correlations suggest that the SST's may have a direct influence on hurricane development.