NEW ORLEANS — We are little over one month into hurricane season and it has already proven to be historic. Experts at Colorado State University have increased their forecast for an active hurricane season. The latest outlook calls for 25 named storms, 12 hurricanes and six major hurricanes. These numbers are up slightly from their first two outlooks that called for 23 named storms, 11 hurricanes and five major hurricanes.
The main reasons for an aggressive forecast are near-record high water temperatures and La Nina developing as we head into the peak of hurricane season.
Forecasters with CSU also say “We have increased our overall forecast numbers slightly, due in part to Hurricane Beryl.”
Record warm water temperatures are something Hurricane Beryl already took advantage of.
Hurricane Beryl broke many records as it strengthened to a Category 5 storm on July 1st. This is the earliest category 5 storm to form beating the old record set in 2005 when Hurricane Emily became a Category 5 storm late on July 16th.
With Beryl already showing what this season is capable of, forecasters continue to believe this will be an extremely active season.
"Information obtained through early July indicates that the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season will have activity well above the 1991–2020 average," said the report, issued Tuesday.
Those expected totals are well above the normal averages of 14.4 named storms, 7.2 hurricanes and 3.2 major hurricanes.
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