ORLANDO, Fla. – Fresh off of Tropical Storm Elsa impacting the Sunshine State, Colorado State University rereleased an update to its hurricane season forecast.
The university is now predicting 20 named storms, with nine of them becoming hurricanes. 4 of those storms are expected to become major hurricanes — category three or above. The increased forecast includes the five named storms that have already developed this season.
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The forecast has increased slightly with each update.
There is also an above-normal probability for major hurricanes making landfall along the continental U.S. and Caribbean.
According to Colorado State University, the increased forecast is a result of:
- Sea surface temperatures in the tropical Atlantic increasing to near or slightly above normal levels
- The lack of El-Nino during the peak of hurricane season. El-Nino helps to suppress tropical developmeny
- Very robust West African Monsoon season to date. Increases the intensity of tropical waves off of Africa
- The development and intensification of Elsa
The next update from CSU and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will come in early August just prior to the peak of hurricane season.