NOAA has released its outlook for the 2017 hurricane season.
It predicts there'll be 11-17 named storms, 5-9 hurricanes and 2-4 major hurricanes of category three or higher.
NOAA's acting director Ben Friedman says scientists expect an average to above average hurricane season this year, with a 45 percent chance of an above average six months in the Atlantic.
"There'll be a lot of Atlantic storm activity," said Friedman.
But NOAA says it has improved its forecasting and will be able to increase its lead time on warning the public by 12 hours.