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Florida Weather Updates for 2008

Here are all the latest details of severe weather storms and hurricanes throughout 2008. Historical information is also available for 2007, 2006 and 2005.

Weather forecasters are saying that we can expect more active hurricane seasons for at least the next ten years so there is no reason to suggest that the next few years will be significantly quieter than the last couple of years.

Hurricane predictions for 2008

The team led by Professor William Gray from the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University have already made two early predictions for hurricanes in 2008. In December 2007, they forecast an above average 2008 season with 13 named storms, seven of them hurricanes of which three will become major hurricanes (Category 3 or greater with sustained winds of 111 mph or more).

They are also predicting that there is a 60 percent chance that at least one major hurricane will make landfall on the United States coastline during 2008 (average is 52%) with a 37 percent chance (average is 31%) for the eastern Florida peninsula and a 36 percent chance (average is 30%) for the Gulf Coast.

In April 2008 they then revised their forecast up to 15 named storms, eight hurricanes and four major hurricanes.

Both the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University team have over estimated named storms and hurricanes in the last two years.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) put out their first predictions in May of each year and this year they have predicted 12 to 16 named storms, with six to nine becoming hurricanes, of which two to five could become major hurricanes (Category 3 higher). They are also saying that there is a 60% to 70% chance of their predictions being accurate. The graph below shows a mean average of their predictions.

In August they will most likely revise their forecast.

2008 Hurricane Season Predictions

Storm names for 2008

The names for tropical storms and hurricanes in 2008 are as follows; Arthur, Bertha, Cristobal, Dolly, Edouard, Fay, Gustav, Hanna, Ike, Josephine, Kyle, Laura, Marco, Nana, Omar, Paloma, Rene, Sally, Teddy, Vicky and Wilfred.

Hurricane Bertha

Tuesday, July 8: Hurricane Bertha has become the first hurricane of the 2008 season after forming off the Cape Verde Islands in the far eastern Atlantic. It is heading west northwest towards Bermuda and has strengthened to a category 3 hurricane though it is expected to weaken again.

Tropical Storm Arthur

Saturday, May 31: Tropical Storm Arthur formed off the coast of Belize, one day before the official start of the hurricane season. It headed west towards the Yucatan peninsula bringing heavy rain in its path.

Previous Predictions

Last year in 2007 NOAA originally predicted that there would be between 13 to 17 named storms, with seven to 10 becoming hurricanes, of which three to five could become major hurricanes.

In August they downgraded their forecast to the number of tropical storms being between 13 to 16 named storms and seven to nine hurricanes but they did not reduce their forecast of major hurricanes.

In the end, there were 15 storms of which five became hurricanes and two became major hurricanes.

In 2006, they had predicted up to 15 named storms but in the end there were only ten named storms of which five became hurricanes.