PUERTO CABEZAS, NICARAGUA – NOVEMBER 16: Palm trees blow by wind as Nicaragua prepares to receive hurricane Iota on November 16, 2020 in Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua. Less than two weeks after being hardly affected by Hurricane Eta, villagers of Puerto Cabezas take precautions before landfall of Iota. | Photo by Maynor Valenzuela/Getty Images
The 2021 Atlantic hurricane season is shaping up to be busier than average. There’s a 60 percent chance of an above-normal season this year. Up to 20 named storms and as many as 10 hurricanes are expected, according to a forecast published today by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). They also forecast up to 5 major hurricanes, which have winds reaching 111 mph or higher.
Hurricane season officially starts on June 1st. But for the first time this year, NOAA began issuing routine Tropical Weather Outlooks two weeks early. More storms have developed ahead of the official season in recent years, to the point where NOAA and the World Meteorological Organization are considering moving the official start date of the…
