It might seem too early to say this, but the 2024 hurricane season is nearly upon us.
Magic Kingdom during Hurricane Idalia 2023
Each year Florida prepares for its annual hurricane season, and naturally, this year is no different. Disney World is always prepared during a hurricane and typically makes your stay in one of the hotels fun and memorable (as well as safe, of course). But there are some differences between this year and other years in terms of predictions and outlook for what’s to come. Eric Burris, the chief meteorologist of WESH News, shared his insight into the predictions for the coming season, and how this year may be different from the recent past.
WESH News began making hurricane predictions several years ago, and last year (2023), Eric Burris was able to accurately predict how all named storms went and when they made it to the land. He predicts “hot spots” based on past patterns of weather. You can see the 2023 predictions made along with the storms that rolled through below.
©WESH
For the predictions this year, Burris began using a program in October and November of 2023 that runs through weather patterns in the area. Based on the data this system gathered, Burris has given us a look at the predicted hot spots for the upcoming hurricane season. The red shows the hot spots — areas that could potentially see impact from hurricanes.
©WESH
Burris indicated that most of the weather that Florida has been experiencing this winter has seen some commonalities, it’s starting in the Gulf of Mexico and moving E or NE. He shared that the Gulf now in March has temperatures that are typical of May, indicating that the warm waters may have a big influence on this year’s weather and hurricanes.
©WESH
These flow patterns and hot spot predictions are showing the greatest threat Burris has forecast since he began these long-range outlooks. So what’s the big difference this year? La Niña. The past El Niño patterns have pushed down tropical weather, but now that we’re moving into a La Niña year, tropical storms and weather patterns are gaining momentum. This year could see stronger and more frequent storms.
©WESH
This year, Burris is predicting return dates for South Florida to be May 19th through 24th, July 5th through 10th, and August 21st through 27th.
©WESH
There are potential return dates for the Gulf Coast to the low Carolina coastline of June 10th through 25th, August 6th through 12th, and September 22nd through 29th.
©WESH
The possible return dates for the low Gulf Coast of Florida are June 3rd through 7th, July 20th through 24th, and September 4th through 9th.
©WESH
It’s important to remember that these are all predictions, and Mother Nature will take the lead as we get closer to summer. But use this information to help you prepare for any upcoming trips to Disney World! Always be prepared for rainy weather in Florida and know that with La Niña coming in later this year, it may be rainy than normal. Don’t forget to pack umbrellas and ponchos.
For more news that could affect your Disney World trip, keep following DFB!
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I do believe this is what they said the last few years. This year will be worse than ever. I think we will just wait and see.