2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season Has Begun
Posted on June 12, 2020 | 3 min read
Monday, June 1st, 2020 marked the first day of the Atlantic hurricane season, and the season opened with another named storm in the Gulf of Mexico.
Two tropical storms, Arthur and Bertha, formed in May ahead of the official start of the season: Arthur formed about 190 miles east-northeast of Cape Canaveral, FL, while Bertha formed near the coast of South Carolina and then made landfall approximately 20 miles east of Charleston.
Tropical Storm Cristobal was originally Pacific Tropical Storm Amanda, which formed quickly across the eastern Pacific in late May but mostly dissipated as it made landfall in Central America and southern Mexico.
On Sunday, June 7, 2020, TS Cristobal made landfall near southeastern Louisiana, and dropped over 3 inches of rain from Louisiana to Florida; some of the totals from the National Weather Service office out of Tallahassee, Fl., Showed areas east of Tallahassee receiving more than 6” of rain.
Season Forecasting
Nearly all weather entities -- government agencies, institutions, and private companies -- are forecasting for an above-average hurricane season for 2020. An above-normal 2020 Atlantic hurricane season is expected, according to forecasters with NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, a division of the National Weather Service. The outlook predicts a 60% chance of an above-normal season, a 30% chance of a near-normal season and only a 10% chance of a below-normal season.
NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center is forecasting a likely range of 13 to 19 named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher), of which 6 to 10 could become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), including 3 to 6 major hurricanes (category 3, 4 or 5; with winds of 111 mph or higher). NOAA provides these ranges with a 70% confidence. An average hurricane season produces 12 named storms, of which 6 become hurricanes, including 3 major hurricanes.
Hurricane Facts
- The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30. The areas covered include the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.
- The National Weather Service defines a hurricane as a "tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 74 mph (64 knots) or higher."
- Hurricanes are rated according to intensity of sustained winds on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. The 1-5 scale estimates potential property damage.
- A Category 3 or higher is considered a major hurricane.
- The National Hurricane Center advises preparedness:
- A hurricane watch indicates the possibility that a region could experience hurricane conditions within 48 hours.
- A hurricane warning indicates that sustained winds of at least 74 mph are expected within 36 hours.
2020 Atlantic hurricane season names
These are the names of tropical storms or hurricanes that may form in the Atlantic Ocean in 2020. Names are alphabetical, and alternate between male and female. Needing the entire list in a season is rare.
Arthur
Bertha
Cristobal
Dolly
Edouard
Fay
Gonzalo
Hanna
Isaias
Josephine
Kyle
Laura
Marco
Nana
Omar
Paulette
Rene
Sally
Teddy
Vicky
Wilfred