Canada set to see above-normal hurricane season: ‘Be prepared’
Canadians and Americans along the Atlantic coast are being urged to prepare now as forecasters are predicting an above-normal hurricane season.
The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in its 2024 forecast Thursday said there is an 85 per cent chance of an above-normal season, with 17-25 named storms — when a storm reaches at least 62 kilometres-per-hour sustained winds, eight to 13 hurricanes and four to seven reaching major status.
“Of note, the forecast for named storms and hurricanes and major hurricanes is the highest NOAA has ever issued for the May outlook,” NOAA administrator Rick Spinrad told reporters Thursday. “This season is looking to be an extraordinary one in a number of ways.”
There are several contributing factors, including rising ocean temperatures and the expectation of La Nina coming into action.
La Niña refers to the cooling of surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, which leads to greater precipitation and winds. NOAA expects it to take effect in August through to the end of the hurricane season in October.
Hurricanes and tropical storms need fuel and with ocean temperatures higher than normal and earlier than usual it means a greater chance those storms can develop, according to NOAA.
According to NOAA lead hurricane seasonal outlook forecaster Matt Rosencrans, the temperatures in the main area where hurricanes develop has been as high as it normally would be in mid-August, about one to two degrees celsius above normal.
However, La Nina is also likely to further development of storms as it can often reduce high-altitude winds — often referred to as wind shear — which can diminish hurricane strength.
The peak hurricane season is typically mid-August to mid-October, with
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