The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) latest update to its seasonal hurricane and tropical storm outlook predicts that 2020 will see 19 to 25 named storms with winds greater than 39 mph.

In a press release, NOAA predicts that of those storms, seven (7) to 11 of them will become hurricanes with wind speeds at or exceeding 74 mph and at least three to six of the storms will become major category 3, 4 or 5 hurricanes.

The forecast covers the entire six-month Atlantic Hurricane Season which ends on November 30.

The 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season has already seen nine named storms; a recording setting pace.

An average hurricane season produces two named storms by early August, with the ninth named storm typically appearing by around October 4, according to NOAA’s historical records.

Gerry Bell, a lead seasonal hurricane forecaster at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center said this year, they are expecting more, stronger, and longer-lived storms than average.