Earth
Networks released its 2019 Atlantic Hurricane Outlook which
forecasts a near normal hurricane season. The hurricane season runs from
June 1 to November 30 and covers the Atlantic, Caribbean Sea, and the
Gulf of Mexico.
After a busy 2018 season with 15 named storms, eight hurricanes and two
major hurricanes, last year will be remembered for hurricanes Florence
and Michael which caused nearly $50 billion in damages in the Carolinas
and the Florida Panhandle.
For 2019 the Earth Networks Meteorology Team predicts 10 to 14 named
storms to form, with four to seven becoming hurricanes and two to three
of those hurricanes becoming major hurricanes with sustained winds of at
least 111 mph. This is very close to the long-term Atlantic season
average.
“Despite a weak El Niño this year, we are expecting a near normal
hurricane season for 2019,” said Anthony Sagliani, Earth Networks
Meteorologist. “This is due to an abundance of warm water found in the
Gulf of Mexico and across the subtropical Atlantic, including off the
Southeast U.S. coast.”
The wildcard is the lingering El Niño, a periodic development of warmer
than normal water temperatures across the equatorial Pacific Ocean west
of South America. This periodic change in the Pacific Ocean affects
weather patterns throughout the Pacific Basin and contributes to
increased wind shear, or winds changing direction and intensity with
altitude, in the Atlantic Hurricane Basin.
Wind shear makes it difficult for tropical systems to develop and the
ones that develop often have trouble growing. This helps counteract the
increased Atlantic hurricane activity seen in the past decade and a half
enhanced by a multidecadal climate cycle affecting Atlantic Ocean sea
surface temperatures.
However, El Niño could weaken and diminish just in time for the
hurricane peak and combined with abundant warm water in the tropical
regions, could produce an uptick in hurricane activity.
Watch
the 2019 Atlantic Season Hurricane Outlook or Contact
Earth Networks for more information. Please also register
for the upcoming Earth
Networks 2019 Summer Outlook which will be presented in a live
webinar on May 23, 2019 at 2 p.m. ET.
About Earth Networks
Earth Networks helps organizations mitigate financial, operational and
human risk by providing environmental intelligence from the world’s
largest hyperlocal weather network. Schools, airports, sports teams,
utilities and government agencies rely on our early warning solutions to
safeguard lives, prepare for weather events and optimize operations.
Companies across all industries use our weather data to automate
decisions regarding risk management, business continuity, and asset
protection.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190520005381/en/