NOAA has released it's record breaking 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook
Hurricane Season begins on June 1st and according to NOAA, this is the highest May forecast in history.
The official forecast is calling for a well above normal storm count; 17 to 25 named storms, which includes 8 to 13 hurricanes. Of those, 4 to 7 of them will be major hurricanes of a category 3 to 5 with maximum sustained winds of at least 111 mph.
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Sea surface temperatures across the Atlantic are running well above average. In fact temperatures right now are what we typically see in late July.
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The season is predicted to be unusually active due to a combination of record warm ocean water in the Atlantic and a potential La Niña trend.
According to NOAA, warm water gives hurricanes fuel and contributes to a more unstable atmosphere. La Niña − one phase of a cyclical pattern in water temperatures and winds along the equator in the Pacific Ocean − often leads to more active seasons.
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Names of hurricanes are reused every six years unless a name is retired due to being a major storm such as Rita or Katrina.