National Hurricane Center to issue tropical updates in Spanish this season
The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season is coming up fast.
The National Hurricane Center already has issued its first advisory of the season, when a short-lived disturbance popped up in the Atlantic Ocean April 24.
Early predictions are calling for an extremely busy season, well above the historical average.
Based on a 30-year average from 1991 to 2020, the typical Atlantic hurricane season has 14 named storms, seven hurricanes, and three major hurricanes.
The agency announced earlier this year there will be several changes coming this season, among them a new cone of uncertainty and tropical updates issued in Spanish.
Here's what we know.
When is hurricane season?
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30.
Storm can and do form before and after those dates.
The Atlantic basin include the northern Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico.
How many people in Florida speak Spanish?
According to the Migration Policy Institute, almost 70 percent of Florida's households speak only English at home.
More than 4.6 million speak Spanish at home, with 2.6 million saying they speak English very well and another 2 million saying they speak English "less than very well." The figures are for those age 5 and older.
More National Hurricane Center information to be in Spanish
During the 2024 hurricane season, the National Hurricane Center said it will expand information provided in Spanish to include:
All public advisories.
The tropical cyclone discussion.
The tropical cyclone update.
Key messages.
The NHC will use AI to generate the Spanish-language documents.
Previously, the key message graphic on the Hurricane Center's website was the only Spanish-language offering.
The NHC public advisories provide information on where the storm is, strength and projected path. If watches and warnings have been issued, that information is also provided in the public advisory, along with anticipated impacts ranging from storm surge and wind to rainfall and tornadoes.
National Hurricane Center's 'cone of uncertainty' changing
One of the biggest changes the public will see this season is to the National Hurricane Center's cone of uncertainty.
The cone currently includes tropical storm and hurricane watches and warnings for coastal counties.
Beginning on or around Aug. 15, the center will experiment with a cone that adds tropical storm and hurricane watches and warning issued for interior counties across the U.S. in the path of a storm.
The current cone displays watches and warnings only for coastal counties.
In the past, watches and warnings for interior counties has come from local National Weather Service offices. The new NHC graphic will combine tropical storm and hurricane watches and warnings into a single graphic.
Predictions call for 'explosive' 2024 hurricane season
So far, every prediction for the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season calls for a very active season.
AccuWeather is predicting this season has the potential to break the all-time record set in 2020 of 30 named storms in one season.
20-25 named storms
8-12 hurricanes
4-7 major hurricanes
4-6 direct U.S. impacts
CSU's 2024 Atlantic hurricane season forecast calls for:
23 named storms
11 hurricanes
5 major hurricanes
Dr. Ryan Truchelut, chief meteorologist at WeatherTiger, predicted the 2024 season has a 50-50 shot of landing in the ranges of:
20-24 tropical storms
9-12 hurricanes
4-7 major hurricanes
Truchelut works with the USA TODAY Network-Florida to provide the latest storm information Florida residents need.
A major hurricane is one that's a Category 3, 4 or 5 storm. A Category 3 hurricane is one with maximum sustained winds of at least 111 mph.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: NHC issuing public advisories in Spanish during 2024 hurricane season
