A coming La Niña plus record warm ocean temperatures means a blockbuster hurricane season.
is likely to be "extremely active," with 23 named storms, 11 hurricanes and 5 major hurricanes, a prominent forecast group said Thursday.This is the highest number of hurricanes that a team of meteorologists from Colorado State University have issued in the 41 years they have produced such outlooks during April.The CSU team is forecasting that out of the 23 named storms, 5 will become major hurricanes of Category 3 intensity or greater.
This means that stronger trade winds, which could potentially cool Atlantic waters, would have less of an effect since they would simply draw more warm water to the surface.To produce its outlook, the CSU team used a combination of a statistical model and simulations from medium-range computer model projections.
When it comes to ocean temperatures, meteorologists are especially interested in the temperatures of a particular rectangular region just west of Africa to east of the Lesser Antilles, where many Atlantic storms tend to develop. According to Michael Lowry, hurricane specialist and storm surge expert at WPLG Local 10 in Miami, the average temperature in this area topped 79°F this week. That is "a threshold we wouldn't typically cross until July based on the current 1991-2020 climate period," he tells Axios.According to Lowry, this is "scary warmth" when combined with the developing La Niña. "It's a hard signal to ignore.
Hurricane season officially starts on June 1, though there has been a recent trend toward named storms forming during May.Share on linkedin
Climate Change Global Warming El Niño National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Too much Atlantic in Atlantic City: Beach erosion has casinos desperately seeking sand by summerThere's a little too much Atlantic in Atlantic City this year for some casinos. Weeks of winter storms have washed away much of the sand from the gambling resort's north end beaches.
Read more »
Space weather forecasters issue geomagnetic storm watch through MondaySpace weather forecasters say a plasma burst from a solar flare could interfere with radio transmissions on Earth.
Read more »
A warm, dry spring has U.S. forecasters worried about the upcoming wildfire seasonStates in the southern High Plains will be 'quite vulnerable to high wildfire risk, especially during high wind events,' said Jon Gottschalck of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Read more »
How a St. Mary’s professor finished first among national economic forecastersThe WSJ pointed out that the economist “hailed not from a big financial house,” but it was her vantage point in Texas that led to a win.
Read more »
Forecasters rate Dale County tornado EF-1Winds reaching 105 miles per hour damaged several homes near Mabson.
Read more »
Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued for parts of Southern CaliforniaForecasters warned some parts of Southern California may experience hail and frequent cloud-to-ground lightning.
Read more »