2003 Atlantic hurricane season

The 2003 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 2003, and lasted until November 30, 2003. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin, although the season technically lasted from April 20 to December 11 due to out-of-season storm activity caused by Tropical Storms Ana and Peter.

The season was tied for the sixth most active on record, behind the 2005, 1933, 1995, 1887, and 1969 seasons, and tied with the 1936 season. Two unusual events happened in the 2003 season. The first was the formation of Tropical Storm Ana, the first Atlantic tropical storm on record to form in April. The other was the December formation of Tropical Storms Odette and Peter, making 2003 the first time two Atlantic tropical storms formed in December since the 1887 Atlantic hurricane season.

Other notable storms include Hurricane Fabian, Hurricane Isabel, and Hurricane Juan. Fabian struck Bermuda as a Category 3 hurricane, the first direct hit since 1926, causing $300 million in damage. Isabel, which reached Category 5 strength, made landfall on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, causing widespread damage across the Mid-Atlantic amounting to $3.7 billion with 16 direct deaths. Lastly, Juan caused considerable destruction to Nova Scotia, particularly Halifax, as a Category 2 hurricane, the first hurricane of significant strength to hit the province since 1893. All three names were retired.