Forecasting the 2021 Hurricane Season: What to Expect.

Hurricane season begins today, with forecasters predicting an average season of 12 to 17 named tropical storms, five to nine of which could become hurricanes. However, deadly landfalls are still possible even in average or below-average years. The activity of this season will depend on two factors: El Niño, which inhibits storm development, and near record-high ocean temperatures, which will help fuel hurricanes. Climate change is leading to a larger percentage of hurricanes reaching the highest categories on the scale. The impacts of human-caused climate change are manifesting in the intensification and altered behavior of these destructive storms.