the prognosis is so dire that experts fear they will run out of names

The hurricane season in the United States is just around the corner and some states are already in alert. Experts have warned that it will be “extremely active”, indicating that in 2024 we could see a considerable increase in the number of hurricanes, in addition to the fact that these will be more aggressive and powerful.

The Atlantic coast is preparing for a possible hurricane avalanchesince we expect a increase both in the frequency like in the intensity of these phenomena.

The concern has reached such a point that experts have also pointed out that the number of hurricanes expected this year could be so high that they could run out of names to designate themsince forecasts suggest a all-time record for named storms.

Hurricane alert in the Atlantic Ocean.

Courtesy / EFE

Hurricanes 2024 in the USA: how names are chosen and how they are divided into categories

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) baptizes the tropical cyclones of the Atlantic from a list of 21 names. These are awarded to storms with winds greater than 63 km/h. When the winds exceed 119km/hare classified as hurricanesand if they exceed the 178 km/hare considered major hurricanes.

According to NOAAthe Atlantic hurricane seasonwhich runs from June to November and peaks in late summer, has 85% chance of being extremely active. More than 20 named storms are expected to form by the end of 2024, of which seven could be of great intensity.

Maximum alert in the USA due to the imminent Hurricane season.

David Guzmán / EFE

In recent years, the number of storms has been so high that the name lists have been exhaustedas occurred in 2020 and 2021, forcing meteorologists to use a supplemental naming system.

In 2023, the hurricane season was the fourth most active on record, although many storms did not make landfall. By 2024, NOAA anticipates up to 25 named storms.

He historical average until this year it was 14 storms with namesseven hurricanes and three major hurricanes.

Ken Graham, director of the National Weather Service, noted: “That’s the highest forecast we’ve ever had.. “It’s a cause for concern, of course, but not for alarm.”

Florida is preparing for an unprecedented hurricane season. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

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According to the specialist Ben Kirtmanatmospheric scientist at the University of Miami, the transition from El Niño to La Niña is generating a favorable environment for the formation of hurricanes in the Atlantic.

“Ocean temperatures in the Atlantic are still responding to El Niño and have remained warm. And that’s the ideal fuel for hurricanes”, he added to complete the complex climate panorama that the United States will experience in the coming months.