NOAA predicts 'another above-normal' Atlantic hurricane season


Prepare for "another above-normal" Atlantic hurricane season, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The NOAA on Thursday said it's predicting a 60 percent chance of an "above-normal" 2021 Atlantic hurricane season, with a likely range of between 13 and 20 named storms, six to 10 of which could become hurricanes. The season, which begins on June 1, could also see between three and five major hurricanes. An average hurricane season sees 14 named storms with seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes, according to the agency.
This comes after 2020's Atlantic hurricane season became the most active ever recorded with 30 named storms and seven major hurricanes. The good news, acting NOAA administrator Ben Friedman said, is that "scientists don't expect this season to be as busy as last year." Still, this would be the sixth above-average Atlantic hurricane season in a row, The Washington Post reports. The Post also notes that last year's NOAA outlook was "almost identical" to this one but ended up being "too conservative."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
While a less active season than last year is currently expected, Friedman warned that it "only takes one storm to devastate a community," while Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said, "Now is the time for communities along the coastline as well as inland to get prepared for the dangers that hurricanes can bring."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Summer in Seattle: Outdoor dining like nowhere else
Feature Featuring a patio with a waterfront view, a beer garden, and more
-
Ari Aster revisits the pandemic, Adam Sandler tees off again and Lamb Chop gets an origin story in July movies
the week recommends The month's film releases include 'Eddington,' 'Happy Gilmore 2' and 'Shari & Lamb Chop'
-
Film reviews: F1: The Movie, 28 Years Later, and Familiar Touch
Feature An aging race car driver gets one last chance, a kid struggles to survive in this '28 Days Later' update, and a woman with dementia adjusts to her new life
-
New York plans first nuclear plant in 36 years
Speed Read The plant, to be constructed somewhere in upstate New York, will produce enough energy to power a million homes
-
Dehorning rhinos sharply cuts poaching, study finds
Speed Read The painless procedure may be an effective way to reduce the widespread poaching of rhinoceroses
-
Breakthrough gene-editing treatment saves baby
speed read KJ Muldoon was healed from a rare genetic condition
-
Sea lion proves animals can keep a beat
speed read A sea lion named Ronan beat a group of college students in a rhythmic dance-off, says new study
-
Humans heal much slower than other mammals
Speed Read Slower healing may have been an evolutionary trade-off when we shed fur for sweat glands
-
Novel 'bone collector' caterpillar wears its prey
Speed Read Hawaiian scientists discover a carnivorous caterpillar that decorates its shell with the body parts of dead insects
-
Scientists find hint of alien life on distant world
Speed Read NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has detected a possible signature of life on planet K2-18b
-
Katy Perry, Gayle King visit space on Bezos rocket
Speed Read Six well-known women went into lower orbit for 11 minutes