FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Researchers at Colorado State University revised their forecast Monday for the remainder of the 2019 Atlantic hurricane season.
August is the official start of the peak of the season, but forecasters say their original predictions made in the spring will hold relatively true.
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The Colorado State team now predicts 14 named storms this season, up from 13 in the group's April forecast. There are now calls for seven hurricanes, which is two more than originally predicted.
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Of those hurricanes, the forecast of two being named "major" hurricanes remains the same. A major hurricane is one that reaches between Category 3-5 on the Saffir/Simpson scale.
According to Monday's report, near-average sea surface temperatures in the tropical Atlantic and a weakening El Niño event in the tropical Pacific are the primary reasons for the near-average prediction.
The warm waters that remain in the central tropical Pacific should continue to inhibit the growth of storms throughout the rest of the hurricane season.
The updated forecast is not a reason for South Florida residents to let down their guard. The CSU team says the current season is exhibiting characteristics to the 1992 season in which there were few storms, but one of which was Hurricane Andrew.