2022 Atlantic hurricane season starts June 1; here's everything you need to know
Tropical Weather Forecast - June 1, 2022
Today marks the first day of the 2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season & we're already monitoring two areas. Hurricane Hunters will fly their first mission tomorrow to investigate a broad area of low pressure near the Yucatan. Regardless of development, heavy rain will spread across Cuba and South Florida late week into the weekend. Meanwhile, a weak surface trough located Northwest of the Bahamas has a low probability of development. Luckily, neither look to have any impacts on SE Texas.
The 2022 Atlantic hurricane season begins Wednesday, and the first storm of the season could develop very soon.
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Leaders at the National Hurricane Center (NHC) are asking Americans to prepare for the landfall of a tropical storm or hurricane now.
"The last 100 years, every storm that's hit this country – 150 mph or greater – was a tropical storm or less three days out," said NHC director Ken Graham. "(You) have to prepare because the big ones happen quickly."
The 2021 season was the third most-active season on record with 21 named storms, and forecasters are predicting another busy season this year. The NHC forecast calls for 14-21 named storms. Six to 10 of those are forecast to become hurricanes, and three to six of those hurricanes are forecast to become major hurricanes (Category 3 or higher).
RELATED: Remnants of Hurricane Agatha could reform, impact Florida, Cuba
Here's a rundown of everything you need to know about hurricane season, which runs until Nov. 30.
This year's names
This year’s alphabetical list of 21 names begins with Alex and ends with Walter. Only the letters Q, U, X, Y, and Z are not covered by the list.
If all the names on this year’s list are used, a supplemental list of 21 names will be used to name additional storms.
Coming soon
The first name on that list might be taken this week, as forecasters are watching a disturbance near Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. It has a 70% chance of development within two days and an 80% chance within five days.
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Forecasters are also watching a disturbance near the Bahamas that has a low chance of development.
First in a while
The 2022 season marks the first time in eight years that there has not been a preseason storm. Last year, Tropical Storm Ana spun around the central Atlantic for a couple of days in late May. In 2020, Tropical Storm Arthur moved along the southeastern U.S. coast in mid-May.
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What to expect in June
The first month of the hurricane season is generally quiet. However, storms that do form during the month usually form close to the U.S. coast, whether that be in the Gulf of Mexico or off the East Coast. Take a closer look at the norms for June here.
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When’s the peak?
Tropical activity picks up as the season approaches its middle, with the bulk of named storms and hurricanes forming in August and September. The peak date is Sept. 10. You can find a detailed analysis of the peak season here.
How to prepare
If you live along the Atlantic or Gulf coasts of the U.S., you should prepare now for the possibility of a landfalling tropical storm or hurricane.
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This includes building an emergency kit, checking your insurance policies to make sure your property is covered, and creating an evacuation plan. You should also know what you’ll do with your pets in the event of an evacuation.
FOX Weather contributed to this report.