BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Massachusetts could be in store for some severe weather this summer and fall.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced their forecast for the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season on Thursday, predicting an “above-normal” season.
This year’s hurricane season spans from June 1 to Nov. 30, and NOAA said that it is expected to have more activity and more major storms than usual.
“Specifically, there is an 85% chance of an above-normal season,” shared Dr. Rick Spinrad, NOAA administrator.
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NOAA is forecasting between 17 and 25 named storms, and of those eight to 13 will form hurricanes with winds at least 74 mph. Another four to seven storms are predicted to become major hurricanes that are category 3 to 5 with maximum winds of 111 mph or higher.
Scientists have 70% confidence in those forecasts, and it’s the most extreme NOAA forecast for the Atlantic hurricane season ever.
NOAA pointed to a variety of factors contributing to an above-average storm forecast, including near-record warm temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean, the development of La Nina conditions in the Pacific Ocean, reduced Atlantic trade winds, and less wind shear.
“This type of environment can be more conducive for tropical cyclone development,” explained Dr. Spinrad.
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To help Americans stay informed and ready for life-threatening storms, NOAA is using “AI-enabled language translations and a new depiction of inland wind threats in the forecast cone” among other technologies “to meet our mission of saving lives and protecting property,” said Dr. Spinrad.
The last hurricane to make landfall in Massachusetts was Hurricane Bob in 1991, although in 2012, Hurricane Sandy hit New England as a powerful tropical storm.
WBZ NewsRadio's Brooke McCarthy (@BrookeWBZ) reports.
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