Forecasters still predict highly active Atlantic hurricane season in mid-season update

Federal forecasters are still predicting a highly active Atlantic hurricane season thanks to near-record sea surface temperatures and the possibility of La Nina. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s updated hurricane outlook released Thursday says atmospheric and oceanic conditions have set the stage for an extremely active hurricane season that could rank among the busiest on record. Not much has changed from predictions released in May. Forecasters tweaked the number of expected named storms from 17 to 25 to 17 to 24. Of those named storms, 8 to 13 are still likely to become hurricanes with sustained winds of at least 75 mph, including 4 to 7 major hurricanes with at least 111 mph winds.