NOAA issued its forecast for the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season Tuesday, predicting an above-average hurricane season for the 7th consecutive year
Forecasters are predicting 14 to 21 named storms for the season which begins June 1 and ends November 30. They also predict that of those named storms, six to 10 will become hurricanes and three to six will become major hurricanes. You can also see an earlier prediction from Colorado State University as well as the averages for each category.
In order for a storm to become named, winds must be sustained at 39 mph or higher making it a tropical storm. In order for a tropical storm to be named a hurricane, winds must each 74 mph or greater. A major hurricane has sustained winds of 111 mph or greater. There are five Hurricane Categories
Forecasters attribute the increase in tropical activity this year to the ongoing La Niña conditions in the Pacific Ocean which are expected to continue through the hurricane season, along with warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, weaker trade winds, and less wind shear in the Atlantic along with an enhanced west African monsoon.
Here is the list of names for this 2022 Hurricane Season along with the second list of names if they are needed:
Keep in mind that this outlook for NOAA and other forecasters is not for landfalling storms, but for overall seasonal activity.
