2021 Hurricane Season Forecast Update

GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) - The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration updated the 2021 Atlantic Hurricane season forecast on Wednesday, August 4th. The forecast increases the odds of an above average number of storms from 60% to 65%.

NOAA updates the seasonal forecast(WITN)

The number of tropical storms expected to form is now in the range of 15 to 21. The number of hurricanes is 7 to 10 and the number of intense hurricanes is between 3 and 5.

As of August 4th, 5 named storms have formed in the Atlantic basin with Elsa being the last. The next name to be used will be Fred.

The number of storms has no reflection on the threat level for any particular location since it only takes 1 storm to be destructive. For example, the year Category 5 Hurricane Andrew cut a swath across South Florida was a below active hurricane season for number of storms with only 8 named storms that year. Some more recent years with record numbers of storms have seen many miss populated areas.

The Atlantic hurricane season lasts through November with September 10th the average peak of the season. For Eastern North Carolina, August through October is our prime time to watch the tropical skies. The WITN Weather Authority will give you the latest First Alert Tropical Forecast as the season continues.