(WTXL) — We are in the midst of the 2019 hurricane season and while Florida and Georgia have not been directly hit, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting a more active rest of the season.
Our First Alert Meteorologist Reid Lybarger explains.
Just Thursday morning, NOAA released it's updated hurricane outlook for the rest of the 2019 season. The initial outlook was released back in May, which was predicting an average season.
In Thursday's new outlook, the National Hurricane Center is upping the number of total hurricanes, now expecting a slightly above normal season. The predicted number of total hurricanes has increased to a range of five to nine, with two to four of those becoming major hurricanes.
An average season is six hurricanes and three major hurricanes. The biggest factor in this decision was the dissipation of the El Nino, which typically suppresses hurricane activity in the Atlantic.
Some important things to know is this outlook does not predict landfalling hurricanes, just activity basin-wide. It's also important to remember it only takes one for it to be a considered a bad hurricane season, something we know all too well from recent memory in the Panhandle.
Know the risks, have a plan, and be prepared. For more hurricane safety tips, you can visit ready.gov and of course our First Alert Weather Team will keep you updated on all the latest activity in the tropics year round.
Hurricane season ends November 30.
