Arthur is the first reported tropical storm to form in May since Tropical Storm Arlene in 1981. Other systems have formed (such as Subtropical Storm Andrea in the previous year), but were subtropical. Some forecasters question whether Arthur's very short lifespan would have been reported and named in the years prior to today's technology. The formation of Arthur also marks the first time that a "named" storm formed in May for two consecutive years. It was also the third time in over 150 years of record.