AccuWeather just issued its forecast for this year’s Atlantic hurricane season, and it’s not particularly reassuring. The company’s meteorologists say they expect another busy year in the Atlantic Basic, following what they called a busy season last year.
“It’s going to be an above-normal season,” said Dan Kottlowski, AccuWeather’s hurricane expert. “On a normal year, we have around 12 storms, six hurricanes and roughly three major hurricanes.”
For this hurricane season, starting June 1 and ending Nov. 30, AccuWeather is predicting 14 to 18 named storms, seven to nine hurricanes, and two to four major hurricanes.
From two to four hurricanes will impact the United States, according to AccuWeather. “These could be direct hits or a storm scraping the coast but still causing impact,” Kottlowski said.
AccuWeather scientists are watching the Caribbean and areas east of the Bahamas early in the season, where the water is already warmer than usual. Indeed, water temperatures have hit 80 degrees Fahrenheit there.
“Warm water is actually what drives a lot of season,” Kottlowski said. “So those will be areas to keep an eye on for early-season development.”
He urged people living near the coast to make their plans now. “All it takes is one storm to make landfall in your area to cause serious and life-threatening problems,” Kottlowski said. Read more:
https://www.accuweather.com/en/hurricane/accuweathers-2020-atlantic-hurricane-season-forecast/705233
