HOUSTON — The official 2024 Atlantic basin hurricane forecast from NOAA was just released and it is calling for a well above average storm count.
NOAA is calling for 17 to 25 named storms, including eight to 13 hurricanes. Of those, four to seven of those would be major hurricanes. NOAA said it's the highest May forecast they've ever forecast.
The start of hurricane season is June 1 and sea surface temperatures across the Atlantic are running well above average. In fact temperatures right now are what we typically see in late July. So, water is ripe for development.
The season is predicted to be unusually active due to a combination of record warm ocean water in the Atlantic and a potential La Niña trend.
Warm water gives hurricanes fuel and contributes to a more unstable atmosphere. La Niña − one phase of a cyclical pattern in water temperatures and winds along the equator in the Pacific Ocean − often leads to more active seasons.
The record for most actual named storms in a season is 30, set in 2020. A typical year averages about 14 tropical storms, seven of which spin into hurricanes, based on weather records that date from 1991 to 2020.
The list of names for the 2024 Atlantic basin are below. Remember the names are reused every 6 years unless a name is retired.
Colorado State University's hurricane forecasting team, led by Phil Klotzbach predicting 23 total storms, 11 hurricanes and 5 of those hurricanes at major status which is a category three or higher. That's the highest number of hurricanes ever predicted in an April forecast by Colorado State since the team began releasing predictions in 1995.
