The U.S. government's hurricane forecasting hub in Miami has chosen The Weather Channel's tropical weather expert to be its next chief.

The National Weather Service is announcing Friday that Richard Knabb will be the next director of the National Hurricane Center.

Knabb grew up in South Florida and was a senior hurricane specialist at the center from 2005 to 2008. Knabb then served as the deputy director of the Central Pacific Hurricane Center in Honolulu before joining The Weather Channel in 2010.

Knabb will replace Bill Read, who steps down as director June 1, the official start of the six-month Atlantic hurricane season. Read has led the center since 2008.

NOAA is set to release its hurricane season outlook next week.