A recent spate of overly eager tropical cyclones may lead to an earlier start to hurricane season, pushing up the official first day to May 15 from the traditional kickoff of June 1 – a date that has been custom for more than five decades.
The jumpstart in dates will be discussed at a World Meteorological Organization meeting next month and could mean daily tropical weather forecasts issued by the National Hurricane Center will begin as early as May 15 this year.
Dennis Feltgen, a meteorologist and spokesman for the NHC, said an official change in the start date would only come after a committee looked at storm data and examined the need and “potential ramifications of moving the beginning of the hurricane season to May 15.” But because the findings would have to be presented at a future WMO meeting for review, the date change is unlikely this year.