NOAA Predict ‘Below-Normal’ Hurricane Season

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA] Climate Prediction Center says the 2015 Atlantic hurricane season “will likely be below-normal”, with a 70% likelihood of 6 to 11 named storms.

For the hurricane season, which officially runs from June 1 – November 30, NOAA is predicting a 70 percent likelihood of 6 to 11 named storms [winds of 39 mph or higher], of which 3 to 6 could become hurricanes [winds of 74 mph or higher], including zero to 2 major hurricanes [Category 3, 4 or 5; winds of 111 mph or higher].

NOAA said, “While a below-normal season is likely [70 percent], there is also a 20 percent chance of a near-normal season, and a 10 percent chance of an above-normal season.”

“A below-normal season doesn’t mean we’re off the hook. As we’ve seen before, below-normal seasons can still produce catastrophic impacts to communities,” said NOAA Administrator Kathryn Sullivan, Ph.D., referring to the 1992 season in which only seven named storms formed, yet the first was Andrew – a Category 5 Major Hurricane that devastated South Florida.

Graphic courtesy of NOAA

“The main factor expected to suppress the hurricane season this year is El Niño, which is already affecting wind and pressure patterns, and is forecast to last through the hurricane season,” said Gerry Bell, Ph.D., lead seasonal hurricane forecaster with NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center.

“El Niño may also intensify as the season progresses, and is expected to have its greatest influence during the peak months of the season. We also expect sea surface temperatures in the tropical Atlantic to be close to normal, whereas warmer waters would have supported storm development.”

NOAA will issue an updated outlook for the Atlantic hurricane season in early August, just prior to the historical peak of the season.

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