RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are predicting this year’s hurricane season to be more active than average.
According to a release from NOAA, scientists at the department’s Climate Prediction Center, per of the National Weather Service, upgraded their prediction of the season from “near-normal” activity to “above-normal” on Thursday, Aug. 11.
According to NOAA, the scientists believe that the current conditions of the atmosphere and oceans, including record-high temperatures on the surface of the Atlantic Ocean, are “likely to counterbalance the usually limiting atmospheric conditions associated with the ongoing El Nino event.”
According to StormTracker8 meteorologist John Bernier, the warm waters in the Atlantic, especially in the Gulf of Mexico, could contribute to the development of storms. But those storms would be more likely to affect Florida and the Gulf Coast region than Virginia.
According to the release from NOAA, the likelihood of an above-normal season is 60%, the likelihood of a near-normal season is 25% and the likelihood of a below-normal season is 15%. NOAA predicts between 14 and 21 named storms this season, 6 to 11 of which could become hurricanes.
