NOAA: Expect Below-Normal Hurricane Season
At the halfway mark in the 2014 Atlantic hurricane season, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Center issued an updated forecast showing a greater chance for a below-normal hurricane season than originally predicted. The new forecast predicts a 70% chance of a below normal season, 25% chance of near-normal and 5% chance of above normal. The earlier predictions, made in May before the start of the hurricane season on June 1, had been 50%, 40% and 10%, respectively.
The center said that overall atmospheric and oceanic conditions are not favorable for storm development. However, it noted that even in a below-normal season, individual storms may still be extremely dangerous if they make landfall.
