Forecasters predict a higher-than-average Atlantic hurricane season in 2025

Colorado State University forecasters announced on Thursday that the 2025 hurricane season in the Atlantic basin is expected to be above average with 17 named tropical systems, nine hurricanes and four major hurricanes.

Researchers of the closely followed forecast have said that warm sea surface temperatures are likely to fuel storms again in the tropical Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean. The season runs from June 1, to November 30, and winds in the south of the United States are favorable for storm formation.

Scientists predicted that tropical storm activity would be 125% higher than the average between 1991 and 2020. In 2024, tropical storm activity was 130% higher than the average.

Between 1991 and 2020, there were an average of 3.2 hurricanes with sustained winds of over 111 miles (179 km/h), 7.2 of the 14.4 tropical storms named as hurricanes.

AccuWeather released its hurricane season forecast for 2025 in late March. The private weather service predicts between three and five hurricanes major out of seven to ten hurricanes, from 13-18 named Tropical Storms.

In May, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration releases its hurricane outlook.

The hurricane season of 2024 was the most expensive on record. Five major hurricanes were among the 11 named storms that made up 18 hurricanes.

Storms in 2024 caused the deaths of 427 individuals and total losses of $130 billion.

(source: Reuters)