Haiyan Jiang, a meteorologist at Florida International University, said there was a high chance of a strong El Niño that could boost water temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico.

“We probably won’t have as many number of storms as previous years. However, some storms get lucky,” she said. “We see outliers all the time, especially with hurricanes. So I believe Floridians, we need to get prepared.”

2026 Atlantic Tropical Cyclone Names

Arthur Hanna Omar

Bertha Isaias Paulette

Cristobal Josephine Rene

Dolly Kyle Sally

Edouard Leah Teddy

Fay Marco Vicky

Gonzalo Nana Wilfred

The NWS outlook was for overall seasonal activity and did not include predictions for when or where hurricanes might make landfall, as that is determined by short-lived weather patterns, said the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which oversees the National Weather Service.…