Hurricane season 2023: What's coming?

27-06-23

Meteorologists at NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, a division of the US National Weather Service, predict near-normal hurricane activity in the Atlantic this year. 

NOAA's outlook for the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from 1 June to 30 November, predicts a 40 per cent chance of a near-normal season, a 30 per cent chance of an above-normal season and a 30 per cent chance of a below-normal season.

NOAA forecasts 12 to 17 named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher). Of these, 5 to 9 could become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), including 1 to 4 major hurricanes (category 3, 4 or 5; with winds of 111 mph or higher). NOAA has 70% confidence in these ranges.

The upcoming Atlantic hurricane season is expected to be less active than those of recent years, due to concurrent factors - some suppressing storm development and others driving it - that boost this year's overall forecast of a near-normal season.