MIAMI – Government forecasters predicted Thursday that the 2018 hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean will be near- or above-normal.
Hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.
Meteorologists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said they are forecasting 10-16 named storms this year, and five to nine of those storms are forecast to become hurricanes. One to four of the hurricanes are forecast to become major, meaning Category 3 or higher.
Forecasters said the possibility of a weak El Nino and near-average sea surface temperatures are two factors that are driving the outlook.
The government’s forecast is in line with an earlier forecast released by Colorado State University last month. Forecasters there predicted a total of 14 named storms, seven hurricanes an three major hurricanes.
NOAA’s 2018 forecast is very similar to the forecast made before last year’s record-setting hurricane season, but the forecast does not include a prediction of where storms will make landfall.
Earlier this month, Harris County officials observed Hurricane Preparedness Week and called on residents to review their plans before the season starts.
Below is a list of the names that will be used during the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season:
To read NOAA's complete forecast, go to NOAA.gov.