Hurricane Season 2017 NOAA Predictions: Above-Normal Number of Hurricanes Might Affect the US This Year
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) believes that 2017 will have a very active hurricane season compared to the last seven years.
The US scientific agency's lead seasonal hurricane forecaster Dr. Gerry Bell revealed in a statement that there is a big possibility for the country to experience an above-average hurricane season compared to the past years.
"We're now entering the peak of the season when the bulk of the storms usually form," Bell stated. "The wind and air patterns in the area of the tropical Atlantic and Caribbean where many storms develop are very conducive to an above-normal season. This is in part because the chance of an El Nino forming, which tends to prevent storms from strengthening, has dropped significantly from May."
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Bell also mentioned that the warmer waters recorded across the tropical Atlantic compared to the previous data gathered could also indicate the above-normal hurricane season.
Reports also reveal that during the first nine weeks of the 2017 hurricane season, six storms were already named. It is reportedly half of the actual number of storms that were recorded during the average six-month season, as well as double the number of storms that are reportedly formed at the start of August.
At the moment, reports reveal that an area of disturbed weather located in the eastern Atlantic Ocean may develop into a new tropical depression or tropical storm sometime late this week. It may also pose as a possible threat to those staying at the Lesser Antilles area over the weekend.
According to Weather.com, the upcoming tropical disturbance is now called Invest 91L by the National Hurricane Center (NHC). At the moment, Invest 91L is causing a string of thunderstorm and shower activities as it heads its way to the southwestern area of Cabo Verde Islands. It is expected to reach the Lesser Antilles by Friday or Saturday this week.
