MIAMI, United States (AFP) — US forecasters yesterday predicted an “above-normal” Atlantic hurricane season and emergency officials said they were factoring the novel coronavirus pandemic into potential relief efforts.
Neil Jacobs, acting administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), said there was a 60 per cent chance the season would be “above normal”, with the possibility of three to six major hurricanes of Category three or higher.
“NOAA's analysis of current and seasonal atmospheric conditions reveals a recipe for an active Atlantic hurricane season this year,” Jacobs said.
There has been at least one Category five hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean in each of the past four years and an unusually active 2020 season would be the fifth in a row.
Carlos Castillo, the acting deputy administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), said the Atlantic hurricane season could be particularly challenging this year because of the novel coronavirus pandemic, and urged people living in coastal regions to be prepared.
