The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting an "above-normal" 2021 Atlantic hurricane season, with 13-20 named storms expected.
Of those named storms, six to ten are expected to be hurricanes and three to five could be major hurricanes, according to acting NOAA administrator Ben Friedman, who delivered the outlook during a virtual media briefing Thursday.
June 1 marks the official start of the hurricane season, which runs through November 30.
NOAA's updated predictions will be issued in August, before the peak of hurricane season.
Last month, researchers at the Colorado State University Tropical Meteorology Project released their predictions for the 2021 season, saying it will likely be above-average, with 17 named storms and eight hurricanes, including four major hurricanes.
This year, NOAA has increased its averages for the Atlantic hurricane season to 14 named storms and seven hurricanes. The previous averages had been 12 named storms and six hurricanes. The average for major hurricanes stayed at three.
The 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season was record-breaking, with 30 named storms and 13 hurricanes, including six major hurricanes. The 2020 season was only the second time the Greek alphabet was utilized to complete a season.
