Hurricane season this year has been mild so far, which may come to relief for those living in the Carribean and Atlantic coast.
Experts predict as fewer tropical storms and hurricanes than average because of atmosphere and water conditions.
The year’s hurricane season should be calmer, but experts cannot predict whether a damaging hurricane will make landfall, said the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in a news release earlier this month.
The current El Niño system, which may become the strongest on record, is the main reason for fewer hurricanes.
El Niño causes strong wind shear, where the wind direction and speed change rapidly. “They keep the thunderstorm complexes from developing and getting strong,” storm expert Gerry Bell told CBC.ca. Also, tropical storms cannot build up high because El Niño pushes air down.
Water temperatures are cooler, which dampens tropical storm activity.
Hurricane season started on June 1 and will end on November 30 — peaking from August to October.
The government forecasters give a 90 percent likelihood that the number of hurricanes will range from one to four. As for major hurricanes, it may be possible there won’t be any at all.
NOAA predicted zero or maybe one major hurricane. On average, the region faces three major hurricanes each year.
An average of 12 named storms sweep into the Caribbean, Gulf Coast and North Atlantic each year. In contrast, six to 10 storms will happen this year, experts say.
So far, Ana, Bill and Claudette are this year’s named storms.
Despite a weak season, it only takes one hurricane to wreak havoc. Hurricane winds may cause property damage, surging water and floods account for 75 percent of deaths in the past 40 years, says the National Weather Service.
