NOAA Updates Hurricane Forecast, Notes Peak Months are Underway

Forecasters from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have increased the number of named storms and hurricanes they predict for the current Atlantic hurricane season. NOAA’s forecast released in late May predicted 9 to 15 storms; the updated forecast predicts 10 to 17. And the previous forecast predicted 4 to 8 hurricanes, whereas the current forecast predicts 5 to 9. Both forecasts predict 2 to 4 major hurricanes, which are storms of category 3 or higher (maximum sustained winds of at least 111 mph). With the updated forecast, NOAA adds that oceanic and atmospheric conditions are now more favorable for above-normal hurricane activity and that the peaks months of the hurricane season, August through October, are underway. Read the article at NOAA.