As the Atlantic Ocean continues to heat up, so too does this year’s Atlantic hurricane season.
Three named storms were swirling at one point this week: Fred, Grace, and Henri.
Fred has since dissipated over land but Grace and Henri are still active storms.
Bob Robichaud, a meteorologist with the Canadian Hurricane Centre, said activity usually starts to pick up in August.
“The peak of hurricane season is the month of September, so we’re rapidly heading in that direction,” Robichaud said in an interview.
Robichaud said it is also shaping up to be another active hurricane season following last year’s record-breaking season.
There were a total of 30 named storms in 2020, of which 14 became hurricanes, including seven major storms.
“Last year on this date, we had 11 named storms and two hurricanes. Right now, we’re at eight named storms and two hurricanes, so we’re not that far behind what we were last year,” said Robichaud.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) anticipates between 15 and 21 named storms this season. with seven to 10 hurricanes, of which three to five are forecast to be major.
The hurricane season begins on June 1 and runs until Nov. 30.
