America could face its most active hurricane season ever

DANIELLA LEVINE CAVA, the mayor of Miami-Dade County in Florida, approaches the microphone. “It’s that point of 12 months,” she says, smiling knowingly. She might have been referring to the tip of the college 12 months, the start of America’s general-election marketing campaign or the premiere of the brand new season of “The Kardashians”. In actual fact, Ms Levine Cava was speaking about hurricane season, which begins on June 1st, and is predicted to be probably the most lively one America has ever skilled.

The Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting between 17 and 25 named storms, of which eight to 13 are anticipated to be hurricanes and 4 to seven “main hurricanes” with winds of 111mph (179kph) or larger. That compares with a median of 14 named storms and three main hurricanes between 1991 and 2020. That is probably the most storms the company has ever forecast when giving its predictions in Might. Different main forecasters have come to comparable conclusions. Climate and emergency-management officers repeated one phrase like a mantra: “be ready”.