Environment

NOAA forecasts below-normal 2026 Atlantic hurricane season due to El Niño

Federal forecasters at NOAA are predicting a below-normal Atlantic hurricane season in 2026, assigning a 55% probability of reduced activity. The agency expects 8 to 14 named storms, with 3 to 6 reaching hurricane strength and 1 to 3 becoming major hurricanes — all figures below a typical season’s averages. A strengthening El Niño is credited with the expected suppression, as it tends to increase wind shear across the Atlantic basin, though forecasters caution that dangerous storms remain possible.

Sources: WUFT News · Mainstreet Daily News · WCJB TV20