New 2025 MD Hurricane Forecast: Up To 5 Major Storms Likely

MARYLAND — Forecasters are predicting “a dynamic and potentially volatile” 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, which starts June 1 and runs through Nov. 30, with 13-18 named storms, according to a new report from AccuWeather.

Of these storms, seven to 10 are expected to become hurricanes, and three to five are predicted to strengthen into major hurricanes that are Category 3 or higher, forecasters stated.

Major hurricanes are storms that grow to a Category 3 hurricane or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Category 3 hurricanes have maximum sustained winds of 111-129 mph.

AccuWeather hurricane experts predict that three to six storms can impact the U.S. this year.

The upcoming hurricane season will be driven by “exceptionally warm waters” across the Atlantic basin, which are “well above historical average levels right now,” forecasters said. These water temperatures could lead to the rapid intensification within 100 miles of the coastline.

"The threat of storms rapidly intensifying before they make landfall is a major concern again this year," AccuWeather lead hurricane expert Alex DaSilva said in a news release. "Water temperatures at the surface and hundreds of feet deep are forecast to be well above the historical average throughout this hurricane season, providing extra fuel for storms to explode in intensity."

While it was not immediately clear how Maryland may be affected by this year's "turbulent" season, forecasters reported some southeastern states could be in the direct line of these storms, including Florida and the Carolinas.

"Similar to last year, northern and eastern portions of the Gulf Coast and the Carolinas are at a higher-than-average risk of direct impacts this season," DaSilva said in the release. "Atlantic Canada and the northeastern Caribbean are also at an increased risk of direct impacts."

AccuWeather reported the 2024 season was "one of the most devastating and costliest on record." Forecasters warned this year's season could mirror last year's events.