NOAA Forecasts Unusually Active Hurricane Season

The Washington Post reports:

The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season is forecast to be unusually active, according to a seasonal outlook from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Any landfalling storms could create unprecedented challenges for government officials working to respond to the coronavirus pandemic, which scientists expect to continue, albeit possibly at a slower pace, throughout the summer.

The NOAA outlook calls for a 60 percent likelihood of an above-average season, with a 70 percent chance of 13 to 19 named storms, six to 10 of which will become hurricanes. Three to six of those could become major hurricanes of Category 3 intensity or higher, and there is a chance that the season will become “extremely active,” the agency said.

NOAA released the 2020 Seasonal Hurricane Forecast today. It calls for a high chance (60%) of above-average activity. The average is 12 named storms (6 hurricanes, 3 major). This is NOT however a landfall forecast, BUT all it takes is 1 storm. The season runs from Jun 1-Nov 30 ? pic.twitter.com/ebPIW3SgQ0

— NWS Tallahassee (@NWSTallahassee) May 21, 2020

Almost all of over a dozen entities that forecast the seasonal tropical outlook call for an above-average number of hurricanes — more than six — for this season. Some are even calling for an “extremely active” season of more than nine hurricanes. https://t.co/Kj3klDDktc

— CNN (@CNN) May 21, 2020