While the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season begins June 1st, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released its predictions. The outlook predicts a 55% chance of a below-normal season in the Atlantic, followed by a 35% of a near-normal season and 10% chance of an above-normal season. Here is a breakdown of the number of named storms predicted and their alphabetical list of Atlantic tropical cyclone names selected by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO):
Also, for the first time, NOAA is integrating data from Black Swift Technologies S0 (sUAS) drones into its hurricane forecast model for the 2026 hurricane season. The drone data will improve hurricane intensity forecasts and can enhance forecast accuracy by up to 10%, with even greater improvements for tropical storms, up to 25%. Here is the overall impact of S0 data for the Hurricane Analysis and Forecast System (HAFS):
