Forecasters have slightly reduced the number of expected hurricanes and named storms in the Atlantic this year following an “unusually quiet” period of activity during the peak of hurricane season.
AccuWeather is now predicting 13 to 16 named storms and six to nine hurricanes, according to an update Thursday. Its previous forecast , issued in March, predicted 13 to 18 named storms and seven to 10 hurricanes.
The estimated range of storms with direct impacts to the U.S. remains the same, however, at three to six.
“AccuWeather hurricane experts are constantly refining and integrating new data into our predictions,” Alex DaSilva, the company’s lead hurricane expert, said in a prepared statement. “Unusual surges of dry air, Saharan dust, disruptive wind shear, cooler water temperatures of