The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), a department of the UK government, has given an update about its travel warning to the United States. They have officially issued a travel advisory to all of its citizens who plan to visit in 2024, due to this upcoming hurricane season having a “severely” heightened risk of occurrence.
The FCDO, which is the UK equivalent of the State Department, says that this information comes on the back of examples such as Hurricane Beryl, which became the earliest Category 5 hurricane in recorded history, and Hurricane Debby recently hitting Florida. They also point to data from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which state that they predict an “above-normal” hurricane season, estimating between 17 to 25 named hurricanes.
The hurricane season itself begins around June 1st to November 30th. It is historically proven that during these times, hurricane activity is most prevalent — thus the distinction of “hurricane season.”
The UK government strongly advises their citizens that trips to this region should be taken with precaution. One area in particular affected by this risk is the southeastern region of the US. Florida is an extremely popular destination for many British tourists, mainly due to its closer geographical proximity to the island, rather than flying even further to California.
The FCDO encourages travelers to plan escape routes and other preparations ahead of time and pay close attention to forecasts. While we have the luxury of knowing in advance if hurricanes will hit, the storms make it extremely difficult to get out of once they’ve begun.
Travel advisories themselves are relatively common. There have already been travel advisories for British citizens going to the US to be wary of terrorist attacks, protests, and violent crime (although notes violent crime is extremely rare amongst tourists). Countries such as Sweden and Australia have issued travel advisories for the United Kingdom, saying recent riots have plagued certain regions.
