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It's still May, so technically the 2020 hurricane season hasn't begun yet. But Tropical Storm Bertha has formed off the South Carolina coast, one week after Tropical Storm Arthur passed just off of Cape Hatteras.
NOAA has predicted higher than usual storm activity in 2020:
NOAA has predicted higher than usual storm activity in 2020:
The combination of several climate factors is driving the strong likelihood for above-normal activity in the Atlantic this year. El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) conditions are expected to either remain neutral or to trend toward La Nina, meaning there will not be an El Nino present to suppress hurricane activity. Also, warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the tropical Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, coupled with reduced vertical wind shear, weaker tropical Atlantic trade winds, and an enhanced west African monsoon all increase the likelihood for an above-normal Atlantic hurricane season. Similar conditions have been producing more active seasons since the current high-activity era began in 1995.
Busy Atlantic hurricane season predicted for 2020
Multiple climate factors indicate above-normal activity is most likely
www.noaa.gov