An influential hurricane forecast brought a mixed bag of news on Thursday, April 9, as forecasters grappled with unruly climate patterns heading into the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, which starts June 1.
The forecast warns of "high levels of uncertainty," as it predicted a less-than-average number of storms.
Meteorologists from Colorado State University (CSU) predict a total of 13 tropical storms will form, of which six will become hurricanes. A tropical storm becomes a hurricane when its sustained winds reach 74 mph.
A typical year averages about 14 tropical storms, with seven spinning into hurricanes, based on weather records from 1991 to 2020. A developing El Niño (which often fuels global heat but can bring weather patterns that disrupt hurricane development) hangs over the forecast.
Multiple forecasters have warned that 2026 appears to have many elements of a dangerous season, and that ferocious storms could rapidly develop.
