It’s that time again. In less than two months, the 2017 hurricane season will officially begin and the experts at the tropical weather research group at Colorado State University have issued their annual predictions — how many tropical storms and hurricanes we could see in the Atlantic.
This year, the group predicts the upcoming hurricane season will be just shy of average. Researchers said they predict there will be 11 named storms. Of those, four will become hurricanes, and two will become major hurricanes (Category 3 or stronger).
An average season in the Atlantic consists of 12 named storms, six hurricanes, and two major hurricanes.
Researchers said the El Niño conditions are neutral and are likely to become weak or even moderate. El Niño causes strong upper-level winds that can prevent tropical development.
Below is a list of names that will be used for this Atlantic hurricane season:
Arlene, Bret, Cindy, Don, Emily, Franklin, Gert, Harvey, Irma, Jose, Katia, Lee, Maria, Nate, Ophelia, Phillippe, Rina, Sean, Tammy, Vince, and Whitney.
For more information on how to prepare your family and home for hurricane season, check out the National Hurricane Center’s hurricane preparedness site.
