Theres a heightened chance that this years Atlantic hurricane season will be above average with more named storms and hurricanes than previously predicted, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Wednesday .

The latest outlook for the six-month season, which began June 1 and ends Nov. 30, includes 15 to 21 named storms, seven to 10 hurricanes, and three to five major hurricanes reaching a category of 3, 4 or 5, NOAA said.

So far this year, there have been five named storms, one of which became a hurricane and was the earliest fifth-named storm on record. These past storms are included in the total number of storms forecast for the season.