Hurricane Season Starts Monday

Hurricane Season 2020 starts Monday June 1st.

All indications point at what could be an active 6 month stretch.
Even at this hour the National Hurricane Center (NHC) is monitoring a few areas for possible development.

Early Start

It seems Mother Nature gets started earlier and earlier every year. May 2020 had two systems develop, Arthur and Bertha. The last time we had two organize in May was 2012 with Alberto and Beryl.

2020 Season Forecast

NHC is calling for 13 to 19 named systems, out of which 6 - 10 could become hurricanes, and out of that number possibly 3 - 6 could turn major. Those are hurricanes category three or above with winds surpassing 111 mph. If you compare that to what is typical, it seems we're in for an above average season.

NHC broke down the chances of storm activity for this year. They say there's only a 10% chance for a below average season, 30% of near average, and 60% of above average. A reminder these outlooks will never tell you when and where a system will make landfall. Prepare accordingly and you will be ready for whatever comes our way.

A tropical system will never take you by surprise like an earthquake or a tornado. At WSVN, we will alert you, sometimes over a week in advance, of any storm aiming for South Florida and the Bahamas.

Why this Forecast?

NHC cites a number of reasons, but here are the top three:

• No El Niño. This is a warming of the Equatorial Waters of the Pacific Ocean. They disrupt Marine and Atmospheric currents alike and help keep hurricane formation in check in the Atlantic Basin. 
• Warmer Ocean Temps. They have been running warmer over the last few years and are expected to do so again in 2020. Hot water of 80 degrees or above is the fuel tropical systems need to develop. Temps surrounding Florida are already in the low to mid 80s.
• Plenty of  Moisture. Models suggest a lot of it coming out of the Eastern Atlantic that could supply growing systems with plenty of atmospheric water to help them develop more and more thunderstorms.  

Our Commitment

The entire WSVN Weather Team will keep you informed of any activity throughout the Tropics. We will provide you with all the info you will need to get ready and stay safe. It'll be a long 6 months, but the more information you have, the better decisions you will make.