Weak hurricane season predicted as dry conditions continue
Meteorologists predict another weaker-than-average hurricane season this year as dry conditions continue.
John Bravender, meteorologist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said during a news conference today that La Nina conditions are expected to continue throughout the year, which will impede the formation of tropical cyclones.
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La Nina conditions tend to be accompanied in Hawaii by wind shear, Bravender said, which hurricanes “don’t like.” Because of this, NOAA is predicting only two to four tropical cyclones forming in the Central Pacific this hurricane season.
Bravender said the season has a 60% chance of being weaker than a typical season. However, he emphasized that NOAA cannot predict whether any of the hurricanes this season will make landfall in Hawaii, adding that even a weak season can produce deadly individual storms.
Last year was also a weak hurricane season, with only one tropical cyclone forming in the Central Pacific.
With La Nina expected to continue this year for the third year in a row, drought conditions are also expected to continue. National Weather Service hydrologist Kevin Kodama said the state’s wildfire season will likely peak early, possibly as soon as June.
See Thursday’s edition of the Tribune-Herald for more information.
