Canadian Hurricane Centre ready for 2020 hurricane season with forecast of above-average activity levels

May 22, 2020 – Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

Canadians value accurate and timely information when hurricanes threaten our lands and waters. Environment and Climate Change Canada’s meteorologists and scientists work around the clock, even during the COVID-19 pandemic, to provide accurate forecasts that help people and weather-sensitive businesses and industry be prepared when a tropical storm is on its way.

Yesterday, the United States’ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced its 2020 Atlantic hurricane season outlook, predicting that hurricane activity in the North Atlantic Ocean will be above normal. The Administration predicts 13-19 named storms, 6-10 hurricanes, and up to 3-6 major hurricanes. The outlook is a general guide to the expected overall activity during the upcoming hurricane season.

On average, the Canadian Hurricane Centre responds to three or four tropical cyclone events each year, with one or two of those events affecting Canadian soil and another two or three events threatening offshore waters, regardless of the number of storms forecast for the entire Atlantic basin.

The Canadian Hurricane Centre encourages Canadians to prepare for the 2020 hurricane season by assembling emergency kits, readying their homes and properties, and following the Centre’s hurricane bulletins online or through local media.

The season officially runs from June 1 to November 30, when the waters of the Atlantic Ocean are warm enough to support tropical cyclones. Typically, hurricanes are of greater concern in Canadian waters later in the season; however, the Canadian Hurricane Centre monitors the Atlantic Ocean year-round for any tropical or tropical-like cyclones that could pose a threat to Canada and its waters.