At least 24 named storms will form in the Atlantic this hurricane season–15 after Hurricane Isaias that just hit the coastline–and five of those may hit Category 3 or higher, weather.com reports.
The forecast, released Wednesday by Colorado State University, would put the 2020 hurricane season as one of the busiest on record, with two dozen named storm in the traditional hurricane season, which runs from June through November.
The busiest hurricane season to date was 2005, when there were 28 named storms, including 15 hurricanes, in the Atlantic.
The August update by CSU increases the number of named storms in the July estimate by four named storms, three hurricanes and one major hurricane.
CSU cited a shift in the El Niño/La Niña cycle toward a La Niña current, pushing warmer air into the northern Atlantic. Coupled with warmer ocean water temperatures, the combination means warmer conditions feeding larger storms.