2018's Atlantic Hurricane Season Is Projected to Be Unusually Active
According to forecasters at Colorado State University's Tropical Meteorology Project, this year's hurricane season is likely to see more activity than usual. Released on Thursday, current projections call for 14 named storms in the Atlantic with a total of seven hurricanes, of which three are expected to be major. Major hurricanes are classified as those that reach Category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. CSU's forecast represents a slight bump in storm activity over normal, with the average year seeing 12 named storms and six hurricanes with two major hurricanes.2017's Atlantic Hurricane Season Predicted to Be "Above Average"
According to the official forecast released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), this year is projected to bring an above average hurricane season in the Atlantic. The NOAA's May 25th report cited warmer sea surface temperatures, an unusually weak or non-existent El Nino and below-average vertical wind shear as the causes behind the predicted increase in hurricane activities. In total, the NOAA believes that between 11 and 17 named storms are possible during the season that began June 1st, with five to nine becoming hurricanes and two to four developing into major hurricanes.