Here’s how the hurricane season could shape up: Report
Posted May 23, 2024 05:31:12 AM.
Last Updated May 24, 2024 05:48:06 PM.
It’s expected to be a busy storm season, the U.S.-based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said on Thursday.
The weather agency’s hurricane outlook said 2024 is the most aggressive on record for NOAA. It’s calling for 17 to 25 named storms, 8 to 13 hurricanes and 4 to 7 major hurricanes
“There’s very, very high confidence it is going to be an active season this year,” Bob Robichaud, the Canadian Hurricane Centre’s (CHC) meteorologist, said in a briefing focused on potential impacts in this country.
Robichaud said waters in the tropical Atlantic are near record levels of warmth — an important factor in the formation of storms.
“The level of heat that’s contained in the ocean right now is pretty much unprecedented,” Robichaud explained. “That is going to be a major contributor to this year’s hurricane season.”
Despite the forecast, officials say Atlantic Canadians will have to wait to see how many storms could threaten the region.
“At this point in the season it’s really not possible to say where exactly these storms are going to go,” Robichaud said. “Where these storms go really depends on the weather of the day.”
Last year, the storm season outpaced predictions with 20 named storms, although the seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes matched what forecasters had expected. The 2023 season tied with 1933 as the fourth most active in history.
Nova Scotians have seen several storms make landfalls and close calls in recent years, including Dorian in 2019 and Fiona in 2022.
Post-Tropical Storm Lee had the most significant impact on the Maritimes in 2023, making official landfall on Long Island, Nova Scotia, on September 16.
Lee, a powerful storm, brought with it strong winds, with a 117 km/h gust recorded at Halifax Stanfield International Airport. It knocked out power to over 200,000 customers across the region and caused significant damage to places along the Atlantic Coast, most notably Rissers Beach Provincial Park.
With files from CityNews Halifax’s Dan Ahlstrand.
