Forecasters double down on warning of busy Atlantic hurricane season

Government weather gurus have updated their Atlantic hurricane season predictions, and chances remain high that it's going to be unusually active this year.

Driving the news: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration made predictions Thursday that six to 10 hurricanes will form in the Atlantic Ocean by the end of November.

• Forecasters give the season — which peaks between mid-August and October — a 60% chance of "above normal" activity, down slightly from their May prediction of 65%.

Yes, but: These predictions are for overall seasonal activity and don't say anything about whether a storm will make landfall or not.

By the numbers: An average hurricane season will see 14 named storms (winds of at least 39 mph), including seven total hurricanes (winds 74 mph or greater). Of those, three are typically major hurricanes.

• NOAA's updated prediction for this year estimates 14 to 20 named storms. So far, we have seen three.
• Of the possible hurricanes, three to five could become major, with winds of at least 111 mph.

What we're watching: Forecasters are monitoring a tropical wave in the eastern Atlantic that, as of Monday, has a 40% chance of turning into a tropical depression over the next five days as it moves west.