Researchers at NC State University are predicting an unusually active hurricane season this year.

Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30, and researchers have predicted 15 to 18 tropical storms and hurricanes to develop during the 2016 season in the area covering the entire Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. The seasonal average between 1950 and 2014 is 11 named storms.

Eight to 11 storms could strengthen into hurricanes, and three to five are expected to become major hurricanes with sustained winds of 111 miles per hour or greater. Possible storm paths or landfall locations were not predicted.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) generally releases its hurricane season predictions in late May.