Overview
- The Atlantic season officially begins Monday, June 1, and NOAA projects 8–14 named storms with 3–6 hurricanes and no more than three major hurricanes.
- Forecasters cite a high probability of an El Niño forming that raises upper‑level wind shear and is the primary reason for the below‑normal outlook.
- Short‑range signals and above‑normal sea surface temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico and western Caribbean mean storms that form early can still intensify rapidly near coasts.
- The National Hurricane Center is monitoring an Eastern Pacific low‑pressure area with about an 80% chance of becoming the first tropical depression or storm in early June.
- State and local officials plus insurers are urging immediate steps—check policies (flood insurance can have a 30‑day waiting period), make home inventories, set evacuation plans, and assemble emergency kits—because a single storm can cause major damage.