2024 hurricane names. Will early predictions of busy season come true?

Hard to believe, but the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season is approaching fast.

The National Hurricane Center, AccuWeather and Colorado State University will release their first predictions before the official start of the season on June 1.

Earlier indications, though, are that it will be an active season due to the combination of La Niña and record warm water temperatures in the Atlantic basin, which includes the northern Atlantic, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico.

When is the Atlantic hurricane season?

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30.

The National Hurricane Center will start issuing daily tropical outlooks on conditions in the Atlantic basin starting May 15.

If a tropical system develops before June 1 — which isn't unusual — the Hurricane Center will issue advisories for that storm.

Tropical cyclone names for 2024 Atlantic hurricane season

Names for tropical cyclones are maintained and updated by the World Meteorological Organization.

Lists of names rotate every six years. A name is retired only if a storm is "so deadly or costly that the future use of its name for a different storm would be inappropriate for reasons of sensitivity," according to NOAA.

At an annual meeting of the international committee of the World Meteorological Organization, the offending name may be stricken from the list and another name is then selected to replace it. 

Here are the names for 2024 Atlantic hurricane season

Names for the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season were last used in 2018 and will be used again in 2030 unless any are retired and replaced by the WMO.

Here are the 2024 hurricane names:

• Alberto
• Beryl
• Chris
• Debby
• Ernesto
• Francine
• Gordon
• Helene
• Isaac
• Joyce
• Kirk
• Leslie
• Milton
• Nadine
• Oscar
• Patty
• Rafael
• Sara
• Tony
• Valerie
• William

How to pronounce 2024 Atlantic hurricane names

• Alberto: al-BAIR toe
• Beryl: BEHR-ril
• Chris: kris
• Debby: DEH-bee
• Ernesto: er-NES-toh
• Francine: fran-SEEN
• Gordon: GOR-duhn
• Helene: heh-LEEN
• Isaac: EYE-zik
• Joyce: joyss
• Kirk: kurk
• Leslie: LEHZ-lee
• Milton: MIL-ton
• Nadine: nay-DEEN
• Oscar: AHS-kur
• Patty: PAT-ee
• Rafael: rah-fah-ELL
• Sara: SAIR-uh
• Tony: TOH-nee
• Valerie: VAH-lur-ee
• William: WILL-yum

2024 Eastern North Pacific hurricane names for 2024

• Aletta
• Bud
• Carlotta
• Daniel
• Emilia
• Fabio
• Gilma
• Hector
• Ileana
• John
• Kristy
• Lane
• Miriam
• Norman
• Olivia
• Paul
• Rosa
• Sergio
• Tara
• Vicente
• Willa
• Xavier
• Yolanda
• Zeke

La Niña, high water temperatures could mean busy hurricane season

In February, AccuWeather started "sounding alarm bells for a supercharged season in 2024 with a risk for many storms," said Jon Porter, AccuWeather chief meteorologist.

The combination of a building La Niña and historically warm water will lay the groundwork for a blockbuster season, AccuWeather said.

La Niña typically leads to more tropical storms and hurricanes in the Atlantic due to less wind shear. Wind shear helps tear apart developing storms, so less wind shear means conditions are better for storms to develop and strengthen.

Adding to forecasters' concerns are the record high water temperatures, which help fuel tropical cyclones.

In early March, the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts was predicting a "very busy" Atlantic hurricane season through September — two months short of the entire season — with about 17 named storms and nine hurricanes, according to a tweet from Philip Klotzbach, meteorologist at Colorado State University specializing in Atlantic basin seasonal hurricane forecasts.

What's the average number of tropical storms, hurricanes during the season?

Based on averages from 1991 to 2020, an average Atlantic hurricane season has 14 named storms, seven hurricanes, and three major hurricanes, which are Category, 3, 4, or 5 storms, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The first named storm typically forms in mid to late June, the first hurricane tends to form in early to mid-August, and the first major hurricane forms in late August or early September.

It's still early and a lot can change

While NOAA has increased the chances of La Niña during the peak of hurricane season to 74%, "a lot can change," Klotzbach said.

How busy was the 2023 hurricane season?

The 2023 Atlantic hurricane season was the fourth busiest season since 1950, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association.

The season was "characterized by record-warm Atlantic sea surface temperatures and a strong El Niño," according to NOAA. El Niño typically helps prevent tropical cyclones from developing.

Seven storms were hurricanes and three intensified to major hurricanes. Hurricane Idalia was the only hurricane that made landfall in the U.S. The Category 3 storm came ashore Aug. 30 near Keaton Beach, in Florida's Big Bend region, NOAA reported.