Hurricanes. Talking about them isn't usually a cause for joy, especially when we remember names like Katrina and Matthew. Both reached Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale, and both caused significant damage and losses. Yet, every year we must do it.
Little by little the experts are encouraged to make their forecasts, although the season will not start until June 1. Global Weather Oscillations Meteorologists Expect Up To Six HurricanesBut not only that, it could be the most intense season since 2005, when devastating hurricanes were recorded.
Global Weather Oscillations used seasonal data from the past eight years, including hurricane forecasts for the Atlantic Basin, which includes the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. They predict the formation of 8 storms and six hurricanes this year, two or three of which could be significant. Thus, it will be a year in which these formations will once again be in the news.
And, ocean water temperature is higher than normal, especially in the Caribbean region and near the United States. If we take into account that hurricanes need to feed on warm waters, around 22ºC, we could be talking about the season that will cause the most damage in these regions in the last 12 years, despite the fact that El Niño remains asleep and past events have been analyzed to understand their impact.
The names for the 2017 season will be: Arlene, Bret, Cindy, Don, Emily, Franklin, Gert, Harvey, Irma, Jose, Katia, Lee, Maria, Nate, Ophelia, Philippe, Rina, Sean, Tammy, Vince, Whitney.
As you can see, there is no Matthew and no Katrina. This is due to names associated with hurricanes that cause so much damage are no longer used to avoid remembering past tragedies and instead use new names.
Last year was a year to remember, with 14 storms and 6 hurricanes, three of them being very destructive. You can read more about the 2017 hurricane season, where the effects of natural disasters were analyzed.
You can read the report here.