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La Niña May Fuel Most Active Hurricane Season In Years

Fueled by a La Niña weather pattern that is expected to develop this summer, experts are calling for an above-normal Atlantic hurricane season this year with 14 named storms forecast through the end of the season.

Hurricane season, which began June 1, runs through Nov. 30.

Hurricane season, which began June 1, runs through Nov. 30.

Photo Credit: AccuWeather
La Niña 2016

La Niña 2016

Photo Credit: National Weather Service

Atlantic hurricane season began June 1 and runs through Nov. 30.

Eight of the named storms are predicted to become hurricanes and four are predicted to become major hurricanes, according to AccuWeather.

Due to a combination of factors, this season is expected to be more active than any season in the past three years. Experts warn that those living along the Atlantic Coast should be on alert.

Storm Colin earlier this week dumped heavy rain on Florida. That is already the third named storm of the season.

For months, meteorologists have been monitoring the possibility for the El Niño weather pattern to transition to a La Niña - a change that would have a significant impact on how active the season becomes.

Earlier this spring, it was unclear whether or not this transition would occur, but experts say it's now looking more likely.

La Niña is characterized by below-normal water temperatures in the Pacific Ocean near the equator.

When this occurs, less wind shear is found in the developmental regions of the Atlantic, increasing the potential for a higher-than-normal amount of tropical systems.

"There's even more information now strongly suggesting that there's at least a 75 to 80 percent chance that we will go into a La Niña pattern," AccuWeather Atlantic Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski said.

"Historically, some hurricane seasons that have followed a transition from El Niño to La Niña have been very active. It's possible we could flip from one extreme to the other, from below-normal seasons the past three years to an above-normal year in 2016," he said.

The 2015 Atlantic hurricane season produced 11 named storms in total, four of which became hurricanes. Two became major hurricanes.

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