
How bad could the upcoming hurricane season be? Maybe one of the busiest ever, at least judging by a key preseason forecast issued on Thursday.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released its forecast for the 2024 season, which starts June 1, calling for a more active than normal season — thanks in large part to the off-the-charts high temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean.
NOAA is predicting that 17 to 25 named storms could form this year, with eight to 13 powering up into hurricanes and four to seven of those reaching major hurricane status, Category 3 or higher. That’s above the average: 14 named storms, 7 hurricanes and 3 major hurricanes. Those figures also are the highest ever forecast by the federal agency. In…