STATEN ISLAND, NY — Although hurricane season has already produced five tropical systems so far — three of which have been upgraded to hurricanes — AccuWeather predicts the season will produce a “salvo” of tropical storms at its peak during the transition period from August to September.

So far, two hurricanes have had a direct impact on the United States, AccuWeather noted, the most recent of which was Debby.

This storm left a trail of devastation in its wake, and unfortunately, according to AccuWeather, it is likely not the last storm of its kind to make landfall in the Southeast this year.

A potentially record-breaking season

AccuWeather warned of a “super-strong” hurricane season back in March. AccuWeather meteorologists are currently sticking to their original forecast of a “nearly historic” season.

By the end of the year, AccuWeather forecasts 20 to 25 named storms and eight to 12 hurricanes.

So when should we expect these storms?

AccuWeather reports that the weather forecast should be clear through August 24, with the exception of Hurricane Ernesto, which is currently raging in the Atlantic.

“It looks like tropical activity over the Atlantic will start to die down over the next 10 days or so due to another load of dry Saharan dust moving away from Africa,” said Alex DaSilva, AccuWeather’s senior hurricane forecaster. “I think it could pick up again in the last week of the month and into September as it looks like the dust will start to die down.”

Once the dust settles, hurricane season will peak around September 10, according to AccuWeather. Interestingly, tropical systems will continue to form through October and even into November, according to AccuWeather’s forecast.

“We remain concerned that the Texas coast, Florida Panhandle, South Florida and the Carolinas will experience direct impacts for the remainder of the season,” DaSilva added.

The danger of a rapid escalation

Warm waters fuel these tropical systems, and this year the storms have a lot to contend with.

AccuWeather reports that ocean temperatures over the North Atlantic were well above the long-term average on August 13 and could continue to rise through early fall.

Meteorologists fear that the increased temperatures could “quickly intensify” as the island approaches the mainland.

In addition, the effects of La Niña could play a role in the formation of storms.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, La Niña is a phenomenon in which the trade winds are stronger than usual and push more warm water toward Asia, causing cooler water to surface off the west coast. This cold water, in turn, shifts the jet stream northward, affecting the weather.

AccuWeather notes that La Niña can reduce wind shear in the Atlantic basin, which in turn makes it easier for tropical storms to form.