US braces for hurricane season as experts predict exact number of storms to hit
Experts say up to nine hurricanes and 17 tropical storms could form as America edges closer to the hurricane season.
Between 12 to 17 named tropical storms will develop in the Atlantic, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, with five to nine hurricanes possible, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June to the end of November each year.
Winds of 160mph were recorded in September last year as Hurricane Ian blew through Florida, the Carolinas and other areas of southeast US were impacted.
A massive bill of $113billion in damage was caused and 161 people were killed. Confirmed among the dead were 150 people from Florida alone, with the rest of the death toll made up of five in North Carolina, five in Cuba, and one person in Virginia.
Gales, snow and rain to batter country today with 80mph wind gusts
161 people were killed during Hurricane Ian (Getty Images)“As we saw with Hurricane Ian, it only takes one hurricane to cause widespread devastation and upend lives," FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said, as reported by USA Today. "So regardless of the number of storms predicted this"s season, it is critical that everyone understand their risk and heed the warnings of state and local officials. The time to prepare is now.”
Competing factors that both exacerbate and suppress storms mean the forecast is for a near-normal season and an 'El Nino' to form.
The Met Office explained: "The name 'El Niño' is widely used to describe the warming of sea surface temperature that occurs every few years, typically concentrated in the central-east equatorial Pacific.
El Nino is the expected weather pattern (Getty Images South America)"An El Niño is declared when sea temperatures in the tropical eastern Pacific rise 0.5 °C above the long-term average. El Niño is felt strongly in the tropical eastern Pacific with warmer than average weather."
El Nino is predicted as the weather pattern moves away from 'La Nina', responsible for the weather in the last three seasons.
La Nina forms when the opposite of El Nino occurs when there are cooler than average temperatures in the region.
The aftermath of Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers, Florida (AFP via Getty Images)The Met Office's own forecasts predict 20 possible tropical storms and "a 70% chance that the number will be in the range 14 to 26".
For potential hurricanes, the UK-based weather boffins' prediction is slightly higher than NOAA, with 11 forecasted.
There is also "a 70% chance that the number will be in the range 8 to 14".
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