2026 Hurricane Season Kicks Off With ‘Below Average’ Forecast | National News

The Atlantic hurricane season started Monday and runs through November.

No hurricane activity is present in the Atlantic Ocean, according to the latest data from the National Hurricane Center.

Here’s what to expect out of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season:

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted eight to 14 named storms, with three to six forecast to become hurricanes. Of the hurricanes, it expects one to three to become major hurricanes – meaning category 3, 4 or 5.

For comparison, an average season has 14 named storms and seven hurricanes, with three turning into major hurricanes.

NOAA officials said the Atlantic hurricane season is likely to be “below average” because of El Niño, which is expected to emerge soon.

While El Niño aggravates weather patterns globally, it can actually decrease the number of hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean. The warmer air and stronger winds that El Niño brings to the Atlantic are adverse to hurricanes, but it’s the opposite in the Pacific Ocean.

Some forecasters are calling the upcoming event a “super El Niño,” which happens when temperatures are more than 2 degrees Celsius – or about 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit – above the average, though federal researchers at NOAA don’t use that term.

Despite the below average Atlantic hurricane season forecast, experts warn to prepare now for storms.

“Although El Niño’s impact in the Atlantic Basin can often suppress hurricane development, there is still uncertainty in how each season will unfold,” NOAA’s National Weather Service Director Ken Graham said in a statement last month. “That is why it’s essential to review your hurricane preparedness plan now. It only takes one storm to make for a very bad season.”

The World Meteorological Organization selected the following storm names for the 2026 Atlantic season: