The 2018 hurricane season in the Atlantic, which officially kicks off June 1, is expected to be of average to above-average in intensity, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Organization’s annual hurricane forecast released Thursday.
The NOAA scientists’ complex model predicts there will be 10 to 16 storms this year that reach wind speeds of at least 39 mph, earning them a climatological name. Of those storms, five to nine are predicted to mature into hurricanes, with winds reaching 74 mph, while one to four of those will graduate to “major” status of at least category 3 on the five-point severity scale, with wind speeds of at least 111 mph.
