NOAA forecasters predict busier-than-usual hurricane season
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. _ Brace for what could be a wetter, windier summer.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting an above-normal 2017 hurricane season with five to nine hurricanes (minimum 74 mph winds), of which two to four will be Category 3 or stronger (minimum 111 mph winds). The forecast calls for a total of 11 to 17 tropical systems (minimum 39 mph winds).
The Atlantic Hurricane Season begins June 1 and runs until Nov. 30.
The weakness or absence of storm-suppressing El Nino climate conditions, above-normal ocean surface temperatures and average or weaker vertical wind shear across the Caribbean and Atlantic coast indicate it will be an active hurricane season, said Ben Friedman, acting NOAA administrator.
Forecasters say there's a 45 percent chance of an above-normal hurricane season and only a 20 percent chance it will be below average.
By contrast, AccuWeather forecasters anticipate 10 named storms with five becoming hurricanes and three storms of Category 3 or higher. They add that three named storms will make landfall in the U.S.
The outlook from Colorado State University hurricane researchers Philip J. Klotzbach and Michael M. Bell predicts 11 named storms, four hurricanes and two major hurricanes.
_Sun Sentinel
