By ERWIN SEBA Reuters
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HOUSTON — U.S. government scientists forecast an above-normal 2025 hurricane season on Thursday, and said big staffing and budget cuts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration would not hinder its ability to forecast devastating storms and warn the public.

The Atlantic hurricane season begins on June 1 and is forecast to produce three to five major hurricanes with sustained winds of at least 111 miles (179 km) per hour, according to the U.S. National Weather Service, which is overseen by NOAA.

The weather service forecast 13 to 19 named tropical storms with winds of at least 39 mph, of which six to 10 are forecast to become hurricanes with winds of 74 mph or higher.

Between 1991 and 2020, there were an average of 14.4 named tropical storms annually in the Atlantic, including on average 3.2 major hurricanes among 7.2 hurricanes.