Researchers from Colorado State University see near-normal tropical storm activity in the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico through Sept. 1, according to a forecast update issued on Thursday.
“The large-scale pattern looks somewhat less conducive for Atlantic hurricane activity over the next week, with potentially more conducive conditions by late August,” the report from the Colorado State Tropical Meteorology Project said.
The update does not alter the long-term forecast issued by the researchers on Aug. 5 for the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season which foresees 18 tropical storms, including nine hurricanes and four major hurricanes with sustained winds of at least 111 miles per hour (178 kph).
On Thursday, Tropical Storm Grace was crossing the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico after making landfall as a hurricane. It is forecast by the U.S. National Hurricane Center to regain hurricane strength in the Bay of Campeche before again striking the coast of Mexico.
Tropical Storm Henri is churning in the Atlantic off the east coast of Florida and is forecast to move north parallel to the East Coast until early next week before it turns to the east.
The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) most recent outlook for the hurricane season predicts 15-21 named storms for the season, which began on June 1 and continues to Nov. 30, with peak activity between August and October.
An average hurricane season in the Atlantic between 1991 and 2020 saw three major hurricanes, seven hurricanes and 14 tropical storms.