2013 Hurricane Season

NOAA forecasters predict that 13 to 20 named tropical storms with winds of at least 35 miles per hour (56 kilometers per hour) will form between June 1 and November 30. Seven to 11 of those could evolve into hurricanes with winds of at least 74 miles per hour (119 kilometers per hour).

And three to six of those hurricanes could intensify into major storms with winds exceeding 110 miles per hour (177 kilometers per hour), NOAA officials said.

An average hurricane season sees about 12 named storms and six hurricanes, with only one or two becoming major storms.

Building a Better Forecast

Even as NOAA forecasters are predicting a busy hurricane season, they also think that significant improvements in forecasting technology will allow them to provide better warnings to coastal residents during the summer and fall.

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National Geographic News