AccuWeather Forecasts 11-16 Storms for 2026 Hurricane Season

AccuWeather forecasters predict 11 to 16 named storms will form in the Atlantic during the 2026 hurricane season, which begins June 1 and runs through November 30, with three to five expected to directly impact the United States. The outlook, described as slightly below average, includes four to seven hurricanes and two to four major ones of Category 3 strength or higher, capable of winds exceeding 111 miles per hour.

The forecast highlights elevated risks for coastal communities from South Texas to Maine, particularly along the northern and eastern Gulf Coast, including western Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, the Carolinas, and parts of Virginia. Cities such as Pensacola, Panama City, Tampa, and Clearwater on Florida's west coast face a higher-than-historical-average chance of significant tropical impacts, including damaging winds, storm surges, and flooding. In contrast, South Florida and the eastern U.S. coastline anticipate near-average risks.

Meteorologists attribute the tempered overall activity to a potential El Niño pattern in the Pacific, which has a 15 percent chance of strengthening into a super El Niño by the season's latter half. This phenomenon typically...