Watch CBS News

Several Changes For Upcoming 2021 Atlantic Hurricane Season As Seasons Getting Stormier

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- We are just days away from the start of hurricane season. The 2021 Atlantic hurricane season begins June 1 and there are some changes for the upcoming season. One major change reflects that hurricane seasons are getting stormier.

Last year, we had one of the busiest hurricane seasons on record. And more active seasons may be more common in the future.

The average hurricane season now features more named storms and hurricanes. Based on averages from 1981 to 2010, the average hurricane season saw 12 named storms or tropical storms, of which six became hurricanes, and three of those became major hurricanes -- or category 3, 4, or 5.

New 30-year average data from 1991 to 2020, has shifted these numbers. The average hurricane season now sees 14 named storms and seven hurricanes with no change in the frequency of major hurricanes, still at three.

Another change pertains to the use of the Greek alphabet to name overflow storms. Last season, there were so many named storms that the National Hurricane Center went through all of the names on the pre-determined list and thus they had to employ the use of the Greek alphabet.

This will no longer be the case due to issues in communicating tropical weather information to the public. This included confusion over similar-sounding storms, such as Eta and Theta, as well as difficulty translating the alphabet into other languages.

The World Meteorological Organization has instead created a second list of male and female names similar to the traditional list.

The National Hurricane Center will issue its prediction for the upcoming 2021 season Thursday at 12:30 p.m.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.