Weather Experts Voice Atlantic Hurricane Season Concerns

With the Atlantic Hurricane Season beginning on June 1, AccuWeather meteorologists are concerned about a serious threat of rapidly intensifying storms during the 2024 season.

Rapid intensification of tropical storms and hurricanes is defined as a tropical storm or hurricane that quickly gains wind intensity of at least 35 mph in 24 hours or less. AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Forecaster Alex DaSilva says rapidly intensifying tropical storms and hurricanes pose a major threat along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coastlines. DaSilva says, “The warmer the oceans are, the more favorable the environment will be for tropical development and intensification.”

The switch to a La Niña pattern, record-shattering warm ocean temperatures in the Main Development Region at the surface, and warm waters at deep depths are all red flags for AccuWeather expert meteorologists. The minimum temperature threshold for tropical development is roughly 80 degrees Fahrenheit. AccuWeather expert meteorologists say many areas of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and southwest Atlantic basin are already above that threshold.