(NEW YORK) — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is forecasting an above-normal hurricane season in the Atlantic, with up to 21 named storms this year.
Ten storms could become hurricanes, the agency said. Three to six storms may reach category 3, 4 or 5.
2022 may also become the seventh consecutive above-average hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.
“The increased activity anticipated this hurricane season is attributed to several climate factors, including the ongoing La Niña that is likely to persist throughout the hurricane season, warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, weaker tropical Atlantic trade winds and an enhanced west African monsoon,” NOAA said in a press release.
NOAA predicts a 65% chance of an above-normal hurricane season, a 25% chance of a near-normal season and a 10% chance of a below-normal season.
“As we reflect on another potentially busy hurricane season, past storms — such as Superstorm Sandy, which devastated the New York metro area ten years ago — remind us that the impact of one storm can be felt for years,” NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad said in a statement.
Spinrad added, “Since Sandy, NOAA’s forecasting accuracy has continued to improve, allowing us to better predict the impacts of major hurricanes to lives and livelihoods.”
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