June 1 marks the official start of the Atlantic Hurricane Season — and if forecasters are right, it could be a quiet one.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently predicted a below-average season with 8-14 named storms. That includes any tropical storm with winds of 39 miles per hour or higher. Of those, NOAA forecasts that only 3-6 will become hurricanes.
The forecast aligns with other experts’ analyses, which say that El Niño conditions will likely dampen hurricane activity in the Atlantic.
The federal administration said it is implementing new technologies, including drones and artificial intelligence, to produce more accurate forecasts.
