Tropical forecasters from Colorado State University maintained their seasonal predictions for a "near normal" 2019 Atlantic hurricane season in an update released Monday.
Citing near-average sea surface temperatures in the tropical Atlantic and persistent wind shear in the Caribbean, there was no significant deviation from their previous forecast, which still calls for 14 named storms this season, with 12 of those still anticipated from now until the season's end.
Of those 14, seven hurricanes are predicted with two of those becoming major hurricanes.
Keep in mind that the forecast is not a statement of how many storms may or may not make landfall. Rather, the forecast is a prediction of the total activity that will occur in the Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico.
Traditionally, August would be anticipated as a potentially active month in the tropics. However, a lull, in place since this weekend, is predicted to continue for the next several days, possibly lasting through the middle of the month.
The statistical peak of the hurricane season falls on September 10th while the official end of the season comes November 30th.
