2019 hurricane season will be 'slightly below-average,' researchers say
 

After an Atlantic hurricane season in 2018 that saw two devastating storms affect the U.S., researchers said Thursday they are expecting 2019 to have slightly less action.

The pre-season forecast from Colorado State University’s Tropical Meteorology Project calls for 13 named storms, of which 5 are predicted to strengthen into hurricanes, with 2 becoming major storms that are Category 3 or higher.


Hurricane researchers note that sea surface temperatures in the tropical Atlantic are "slightly below normal," and the far North Atlantic is "anomalously cool." A weaker El Niño may also strengthen this summer into the fall.

"We anticipate that the 2019 Atlantic basin hurricane season will have slightly below-normal activity," the researchers said in their report.