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WASHINGTON D.C. (WKRG) – The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts a 65% chance of a busier-than-normal Atlantic Hurricane Season for 2022.

NOAA has released their seasonal forecast for the Atlantic Basin. They predict 14 to 21 named tropical cyclones. The agency anticipates six to ten of those storms will become hurricanes. Three to six of those hurricanes will become major hurricanes packing sustained winds of 111 mph or greater.

The increased tropical activity anticipated this hurricane season is attributed to several climate factors, including the ongoing La Niña that is likely to persist throughout the hurricane season, warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, and weaker tropical Atlantic trade winds and an enhanced west African monsoon.

These factors all suggest that tropical activity will be frequent and persistent. Residents on the Gulf Coast should prepare for this busy season.