Hurricane Ian pictured from the International Space Station just south of Cuba, Sept. 26, 2022.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released its forecast for the 2023 Atlantic tropical season. It forecasts 12 to 17 named storms will develop, making it a "near-normal" season.
The upcoming Atlantic tropical season, which begins June 1 and runs until Nov. 30, is expected to be less active than in recent years due to competing factors, some that suppress storm development and some that fuel it, driving this year's overall forecast for a near-normal season.
The development of El Niño this summer is expected to help offset favorable tropical storm conditions in the Atlantic Ocean, including warmer-than-normal water temperatures. These were factors affecting the agency's seasonal outlook.
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Overall, NOAA predicts there will be a 40% chance of a near-normal season, a 30% chance of an above-normal season and a 30% chance of a below-normal season.
The Atlantic basin covers the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico.
The 2023 list of storm names total 21, using almost every letter of the alphabet. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), not the U.S. National Hurricane Center, is responsible for tropical cyclone names.
The Atlantic tropical season storm names in 2023 are Arlene, Bret, Cindy, Don, Emily, Franklin, Gert, Harold, Idalia, Jose, Katia, Lee, Margot, Nigel, Ophelia, Philippe, Rina, Sean, Tammy, Vince and Whitney.
If we have an active season and run through the entire list of names, a supplemental list will be used.
