Hurricane Season 2019

Officially, the Atlantic hurricane season started on June 1 and runs until Nov. 30. Most of these storms will hit during peak hurricane season between August and October, on both coasts, according to the National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center.

On May 23, NOAA released its forecast for the 2019 hurricane season, predicting that the season would be be near-normal, with a a 30% chance of an above-normal season and a 30% chance of a below-normal season.

Hurricane scientists at Colorado State University predicted a slightly below-average Atlantic hurricane season in 2019, they announced April 4. The researchers noted the high chance of a weak El Niño as a primary factor. According to their analyses, the tropical Atlantic sea surface temperatures are slightly below their long-term average values, which makes this region an unfavorable place for hurricane production, they said in the statement.

In all, the CSU team predicted that 2019 would have 13 named storms in the Atlantic Ocean, including five that would become hurricanes. Of these, they expect two to become major hurricanes that reach Category 3 or higher.

During this season, according to NOAA, there is a 70% chance of 2019 having between nine and 15 named storms, of which four to eight could become hurricanes. Of these, two to four could become major hurricanes, with winds of 11 mph (179 km/h) or higher.