June 1 marks the official beginning of 2021 Atlantic hurricane season

MIAMI — Welcome to the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season.

June 1 is the first official day of the season Forecasters are predicting another “above average” hurricane season this year, although we shouldn’t see as many storms as the record-breaking season in 2020.

And just like last year, Florida’s hurricane prep in 2021 includes COVID-19 safety protocols.

Here’s what you should know:

HOW LONG IS HURRICANE SEASON?

Hurricane season runs June 1-Nov. 30, with a peak in August and September.

WHAT’S THE FORECAST FOR THIS YEAR? HOW MANY STORMS?

NOAA is predicting another active hurricane season, but not quite as bad as last year.

The agency predicts 13 to 20 named storms, six to 10 of which would strengthen to a hurricane and three to five that would become major hurricanes, which means Category 3 or higher.

Last year there were 30 named storms, 14 of which were hurricanes, and a record-breaking 7 of which were major hurricanes.

WILL WE HAVE EL NINO OR LA NINA THIS YEAR?

NOAA in early May suggested that this season will likely see a weaker La Nina, or neither weather pattern.

El Nino is usually associated with warmer waters in the Pacific, which typically results in the Atlantic seeing a slow-down of hurricane activity. La Nina, on the other hand, tends to cause colder waters in the Pacific, which can whip up more hurricane activity in the Atlantic.

HOW WILL FLORIDA HURRICANE SHELTERS HANDLE COVID-19? WHAT IF I’M SICK?

In Miami-Dade County, evacuees will be screened for COVID-19 symptoms and exposure at the door, but workers will not ask people if they’ve been vaccinated.