Written by Staff Writer at CNN Meteorologist Haley Jones
The Atlantic hurricane season formally runs from June 1 to November 30 each year. And while the official start of the season is about a month away (on June 1), weather forecasters have already launched their annual hurricane season preview.
In their update, the Atlantic hurricane season forecast issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts that this year’s hurricane season will be an active one, with 10 to 17 named storms (which lead to hurricane watch, tropical storm watch and hurricane warning designation), three to six hurricanes and two to four major hurricanes.
This four-year mark would mark the second-highest number of hurricanes since 2012, when a total of 16 named storms, five hurricanes and two major hurricanes were recorded. In 2018, there were 11 named storms, four hurricanes and one major hurricane.
An active or active season is forecast. An active hurricane season is defined as an average or above-average number of storms, hurricanes and major hurricanes. Last year’s hurricane season was one of the quietest on record.
Last year, there were six hurricane impacts that occurred during the 2018 season, including Storm Alberto, which hit Florida in September; Florence, which made landfall in the Carolinas in September; and Michael, which made landfall in the Florida Panhandle. An additional two hurricane impacts occurred during the 2017 season, including the direct impact of Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma, which is the strongest Atlantic storm on record, causing approximately $150 billion in damage.