In May, ahead of the start of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, which begins on June 1 and lasts six months, our newspaper published forecasts for this season from several of the leading meteorological organizations in the United States.
But in just two months, nine named storms and two hurricanes (Hannah and Isaiah) passed, and the predictions had to be revised. The Colorado State University meteorological team has added eight more named tropical storms to the 16 previously discussed. Scientists now expect the number of hurricanes to rise from eight to 12, and the number of major hurricanes (Category 3 or higher) to rise from four to five. The team said the 2020 season will be “extremely active,” about 190% more active than a normal hurricane season, and there is a 75% chance that a major Category 3 hurricane will hit the US coastline this year. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Research Agency has also revised its early forecast: it now predicts there will be 19 to 25 named storms, of which 7 to 11 will be hurricanes, including 3 to 6 of Category 3 or more. The US National Weather Service came to a similar conclusion.