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2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season Predicted as ‘Explosive'”

Posted by: Rebekah Tyndall Burkett March 30, 2024 0

Projections for the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season were just released, and this year’s season is forecast to be “unprecedented” and “explosive” as sea surface temperatures rise, creating the potential for an increased number of storms, as well as increased intensity.

hurricane lee

Credit: National Weather Service

An “Explosive” Hurricane Season Ahead

The upcoming hurricane season begins on June 1 and runs through November 30, but information released by AccuWeather meteorologists on Wednesday warns of the increased potential for tropical storms–those that gather energy from warm sea surface temperatures instead of from a front–forming earlier than usual in 2024.

According to AccuWeather forecasters, the 2024 hurricane season could hit “a record-setting pace,” with increased hurricane activity in the Atlantic Basin, as many as 25 named storms–including tropical storms with sustained winds of at least 39 miles per hour–during the summer and fall months. That number would destroy the historical average number of storms in one hurricane season, which currently sits at 14 storms.

Tropical storm arlene

Credit: National Hurricane Center

The forecast released on Wednesday also called for between eight and 12 of those named storms to gather enough strength to become hurricanes, with sustained winds of at least 74 miles per hour, and four to seven of them intensifying to Category 3 or higher major hurricanes with at least 111 miles per hour.

Each year, the names of potential storms are listed in alphabetical order. For the 2024 season, storm names include Alberto, Beryl, Chris, Debby, Ernesto, Francine, Gordon, Helene, Isaac, Joyce, Kirk, Leslie, Milton, Nadine, Oscar, Patty, Rafael, Sara, Tony, Valerie, and William.

AccuWeather meteorologists say that between four and six of the 2024 storms could have a direct impact on the United States.

Comparing 2024 to 2023

In 2023, the Atlantic hurricane season included 20 named storms, seven of which strengthened into hurricanes. During last year’s season, Hurricane Idalia was the only storm that made landfall in the U.S. On August 30, Idalia made landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida as a Category 3 storm, arriving with 125 mph winds.

hurricane idalia on radar 2023

Credit: National Weather Service

What’s Behind the Uptick in Storms and Severity?

According to AccuWeather forecaster Alex DaSilva, the increase in hurricane and tropical storm activity that’s projected for 2024 is due to several factors, including warm water temperatures on the surface of the Atlantic Ocean, especially in the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, and across the tropics in the Atlantic Basin.
areas of activity in the atlantic basin

Credit: AccuWeather

All of these bodies of water are known as places where hurricanes typically form.
Higher temperatures could also contribute to the rapid intensification of storms during the Atlantic hurricane season. During this phenomenon, storms undergo a sudden increase in wind speeds over 30 knots in just 24 hours. Such was the case with Hurricane Idalia in 2023, a Category 4 storm, and Hurricane Lee, a Category 5 storm.
As this forecast was just released today, more information will be shared as it becomes available.

About Rebekah Tyndall Burkett

Rebekah grew up in Forney, Texas and lives just outside of Dallas. She’s been a Disney superfan since childhood, experiencing the magic at Walt Disney World for the first time at the age of 11. Journeys to Neverland are at least a yearly occurrence for her, her husband and her four children (the Fab Four). When they go to the parks, they stay in Florida for three weeks at a time. Rebekah loves exploring the history of the parks, the genius behind the Magic in the person of Walt Disney, and she is intrigued by all things Disney World and Disney Imagineering. When in the parks, Rebekah and her husband Scott make the most of their time by enjoying every minute with their Fab Four, by delving deeper into Walt’s vision for the parks and into the history behind the Walt Disney World Resort, and by photographing the many different types of architecture at Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and on the World Showcase at EPCOT. When she’s not in the parks, Rebekah is excitedly setting travel dates and planning her family’s next adventure to their happy place deep within the Sunshine State. On breaks from planning her next trip, Rebekah is a writer, journalist and children’s author, penning children’s books about kids with special needs that she affectionately calls “believement-achievement” stories. Her hobbies include creative writing, paper crafting and interviewing Imagineers. She is also an advocate for Autism Awareness and for children with developmental disabilities of all kinds.

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