The upcoming 2025 Atlantic hurricane season is expected to be “above average,” with more named storms, more hurricanes and more major hurricanes likely, experts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Thursday.
Forecasters are calling for:
— Thirteen to 19 named storms. (The average is 14.)
— Six to 10 hurricanes. (The average is seven.)
— Three to five major hurricanes, meaning Category 3 or above. (The average is three.)
Ken Graham, director of the National Weather Service, said that there’s a 60% chance of an above-normal season and a 10% chance of a below-normal season.
Graham said that three factors informed the forecast: Warm sea-surface temperatures in the Atlantic Basin, a lack of wind shear over the region, and a forecast for strong African monsoons, which can roll off the continent and fuel tropical storms once over the Atlantic.
“Everything is in place for an above-average season,” Graham said.
Graham also encouraged people to take hurricanes seriously. “There’s no such thing as just a Cat 1, just a Cat 2 storm,” Graham said. “Even a small storm is a danger.”
Now is a good time to prepare for hurricane season, he said. “There are no lines today.”
If the 2025 season reaches the higher end of NOAA’s forecast, it will be on par with last year’s season, which saw 18 named storms, 11 hurricanes and five major hurricanes.
Hurricane season officially begins June 1 and ends Nov. 30.
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