NOAA: Hurricane Season Could Be 'Extraordinary'

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season could be "extraordinary."

"This season is looking to be an extraordinary one in a number of ways," said National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Administrator Rick Spinrad.

The NOAA said its forecasting shows there is 85% odds of an above normal season, with 17 to 25 named storms of tropical storm intensity or greater, eight to 13 of which will become hurricanes, and four to seven major hurricanes of Category 3 or greater, Axios reported.

It's the most aggressive hurricane season outlook the NOAA has ever issued, Spinrad said. From 1991 to 2020, there were an average of 14 named storms, seven hurricanes, and three major hurricanes each season, according to Axios.

NOAA said there is just a 5% chance of a below average season, Axios reported.

Hurricane season officially begins June 1.

Temperatures higher than normal in the Gulf of Mexico and oceans in the Caribbean, which could lead to more hurricanes, Axios said.

Dry air in the mid-levels of the atmosphere and Sahara dust blowing across the Atlantic from western Africa could depress tropical storms and hurricanes, according to Axios.

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