NOAA releases 2023 hurricane season outlook

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — It is that time of the year when hurricane season is set to begin.

NOAA has released its 2023 Atlantic hurricane season outlook ahead of the official start to the hurricane season June 1.

A near normal season is in the forecast with 12 to 17 named storms expected. Of those 12 to 17 storms, 5 to 9 storms are forecasted to be hurricanes.

This forecast is driven by the transition to an El Niño setup. Its counterpart, La Niña, has been in place the last few years which tends to increase hurricane activity.

During El Niño years, wind shear tends to be stronger for spots in the Caribbean. Stronger wind shear can deter tropical activity with an unfavorable environment for storms to grow. However, sea surface temperatures are already running well above average as we enter these hurricane months.

In early May, the National Hurricane Center determined a sub-tropical storm formed in January in the open Atlantic upon reanalysis. Technically, this means the tropical storm count is at one despite this storm not being named at the time.

Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30.