NOAA meteorologists predict 2024 hurricane season will have ‘highest-ever’ number of named storms

It's only May, and there are currently near record-setting water temperatures in the Atlantic, which is bad news for those who live along or regularly visit the Texas Coast.  

And, because warmer water equates to more intense storms, forecasters with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are now predicting an "extraordinary" 2024 storm season. 

Thursday morning, NOAA released a dire prediction for the upcoming storm season, calling for 17 to 25 named storms, and of those, eight to 13 are expected to become hurricanes. 

NOAA says there's an 85% probability of an above average hurricane season, which spans from June 1 to Nov. 30. 

This "above average" prediction, which is also the "highest ever" for a May forecast, is based on a number of factors, including increasingly warming temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean as well as La Niña conditions forming in the Pacific, which can help storm formation by reducing wind shear.

According to the report, NOAA is calling for "17 to 25 total named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher). Of those, 8 to 13 are forecast to become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), including 4 to 7 major hurricanes (category 3, 4 or 5; with winds of 111 mph or higher)." 

Besides La Niña and warmer than average water temps, the report also highlighted climate change as a major contributing factor. 

"Human-caused climate change is warming our ocean globally and in the Atlantic basin, and melting ice on land, leading to sea level rise, which increases the risk of storm surge," said the report. "Sea level rise represents a clear human influence on the damage potential from a given hurricane."

The warning comes as expects warn that climate change is also exposing Texas residents to more days of dangerous heat.