Urgent NOAA warning for above-normal 2022 hurricane season with more than 20 named storms – starting in days

"the increased activity anticipated this hurricane season is attributed to several climate factors, including the ongoing La Niña."

Other factors include warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, as well as weaker tropical Atlantic trade winds and an enhanced west African monsoon.

Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30.

There is a 65 percent chance of an above-normal hurricane season, a 25 percent chance of a near-normal season, and a 10 percent chance of a below-normal season, says NOAA.

This hurricane season would be the seventh consecutive one that is above average.

In its annual report, NOAA marked the upcoming 10-year anniversary of Hurricane Sandy, which devastated the New York metro area.

"Since Sandy, NOAA's forecasting accuracy has continued to improve, allowing us to better predict the impacts of major hurricanes on lives and livelihoods," said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad.

Major hurricanes tend to escalate rapidly, with winds reaching 35mph or more in just 24 hours.

The last decades have seen an increase in these types of hurricanes, and colder than normal temperatures in the Pacific Ocean over the past two years have made for busy hurricane seasons.

The 2021 hurricane season saw 21 names storms, which was the third most on record. In 2020, a record 30 storms were named.

According to the , the US saw more Category 4 and 5 hurricane landfills between 2017 and 2021 than from 1963 to 2016.