National Hurricane Center issues 2024 forecast
The National Hurricane Center of the United States has issued their forecast for the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season.
The forecast calls for a very active season when it comes to the number of tropical storms, hurricanes, and major hurricanes expected.
The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season forecast issued by the National Hurricane Center as part of the National Oceangraphic and Atmospheric Administration. (Source: National Hurricane Center)
Seventeen-to-25 named storms are being forecasted. Eight-to-13 of those storms are strengthening to hurricanes with four-to-seven becoming major hurricanes. A major hurricane has maximum sustained winds of 178 km/h or higher near its centre. All of those numbers are above climate averages for the season.
The factors being given for the active forecast include:
- near record warmth in the ocean waters of the Atlantic. Warm ocean waters provide the fuel for tropical storms and hurricanes
- development of La Nina conditions in the Pacific. This produces a more favourable wind environment over the Atlantic, giving storms a better chance of organizing and strengthening
- potential for an above-normal west African monsoon season. That could produce more thunderstorms off the coast of Africa which can then act as “seeds” for tropical storms and hurricanes
“It’s like bathwater out there,” says Florida-based meteorologist Steve Weagle.
“They’re the warmest temperatures we’ve ever recorded in most areas. So they’re not just a little bit above normal. We’re not talking a degree or two above normal, they are super high.
The list of names to be used for storms for the 2024 season. (Source: National Hurricane Center)
In general a higher frequency of developed storms comes with an increased risk one could make landfall in Atlantic Canada.
After experiencing major storms in 2022 and 2023, officials in the province of Nova Scotia say they are preparing ahead of time.
“We have extra equipment that we’ve purchased for this year, knowing it’s going to be a particularly bad season,” says Erica Fleck, Halifax Regional Municipality emergency management director.
It only takes one land-falling storm to make it a bad season. Hurricane Fiona impacted the Maritimes in 2022, a year that was actually near-average when it came to the number of tropical storms and hurricanes.
All residents should have a plan in the event we are impacted by a strong storm. Tips for preparation can be found here.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Jonathan MacInnis.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
A new tax filing system could give Canadians more than $1 billion in unclaimed benefits: PBO
Canadians would get more than $1 billion in unclaimed benefits each year through an automatic tax filing system, according to a report published by the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO).
Prince William shares childhood photo of him and King Charles III for Father's Day
Prince William on Sunday shared a photograph showing him as a child with his father, King Charles III, to mark Father’s Day in the United Kingdom this year.
Maine police kill armed man after a night of gunfire and burned homes
A Maine State Police tactical team fatally shot a man on a rooftop early Saturday after an hourslong standoff in which authorities said he opened fire at officers, two homes burned down and a person who fought with him apparently died.
Rare surgery in Montreal allows 9-year-old girl to live normal life
A rare surgery at the Montreal Children's Hospital is allowing a nine-year-old girl to keep her adrenal glands and live a normal life.
Video shows northern Ont. storm hammer shoreline, breaking dock
The owner of a northern Ont. camp is continuing to clean up after an intense storm that prompted a tornado warning Thursday ripped through the area breaking his dock and downing trees.
East Coast authorities working on warning signs for great white sharks
There's growing evidence that the number of great white sharks is on the rise along Canada's East Coast, where plans are in the works to post warning signs for beachgoers for the first time.
Foreign Affairs Minister insists there are no ‘traitors’ in Liberal caucus
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly insists there are no "traitors" in the Liberal caucus, after a report from the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP) alleged there are MPs and senators who are “semi-witting or witting participants” in foreign interference efforts.
80 countries at Swiss conference agree territorial integrity of Ukraine must be basis of any peace
Eighty countries jointly called Sunday for the "territorial integrity" of Ukraine to be the basis for any peace agreement to end Russia’s war, though some key developing nations at a Swiss conference did not join in.
Global study ranks two Canadian cities high on list of most expensive places to buy a home
As Canadians continue to struggle with the extremely high cost of buying a home in some of the country’s major urban centres, a new global report is underscoring just how expensive some of those markets are.