NOAA warns of potential for "extremely active" Atlantic hurricane season

• There have already been nine named storms during the season, significantly outpacing the usual two at this point in August. Those are included in the NOAA's count.
• The agency said factors like warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures and reduced wind shear are contributing to the formation of more tropical storms.

What they're saying: "This year, we expect more, stronger, and longer-lived storms than average ... well above NOAA’s threshold for an extremely active season," said said Gerry Bell, the lead seasonal hurricane forecaster at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center.

Worth noting: NOAA's prediction only includes the formation of storms — not that they'll necessarily make landfall.