NOAA’s hurricane outlook for the Atlantic was issued this week, and it seems the season is shaping up to be above normal, having already produced four named storms before the season’s peak from mid-August through October.

According to Gerry Bell, lead hurricane forecaster at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, atmospheric and oceanic conditions favorable for storm development have materialized, which led to the prediction of an active season. Also, two of the four storms to-date formed in the tropical Atlantic, which is a historical indicator of an active season.

Current conditions are similar to those that have produced many active Atlantic hurricane seasons in the past.