NOAA’s Updated Atlantic Hurricane Season Averages Reflect More Storms

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has updated what it considers to be an average Atlantic hurricane season, from 12 named storms and 6 hurricanes to 14 named storms and 7 hurricanes. One category – the number of major hurricanes – remains unchanged at 3. NOAA updates its averages every ten years by looking back at the previous 30-year period. For its previous averages, it used the period of 1981-2010. Its newest averages reflect activity observed between 1991-2020. NOAA noted the increase in the averages may be attributed to the overall improvement in observing platforms and the warming ocean and atmosphere influenced by climate change. The update also reflects a very busy period over the last 30 years, and the last 10 years in particular. For the Eastern Pacific and Central Pacific basins the averages did not change. The Eastern Pacific basin will remain at 15 named storms, 8 hurricanes, and 4 major hurricanes. The Central Pacific basin will maintain an average of 4 named storms, 3 hurricanes, and 2 major hurricanes. Read more at NOAA.