Aug 7, 2008 1:14 pm US/Eastern
Hurricane Center Ups Seasonal Outlook
Now Predicts 7 to 10 Hurricanes This Season
6 Hurricanes Could Reach Category 3 Or Above
Click Here for more information on this year's hurricane season.
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
This hurricane season may be a little more active than originally thought.
Meteorologists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Center and at the National Hurricane Center have updated their seasonal outlook and increased the number of storms they expect this year.
In May, they predicted 12 to 16 named storms, including 6 to 9 hurricanes, with 5 reaching major hurricane status of Category 3 or above.
Thursday they released an update to that outlook. They say we could see 14 to 18 named storms this hurricane season; 7 to 10 of which will be hurricanes, of which 6 could reach major hurricane status.
Forecasters said warm ocean temperatures and early season storm activity lead them to believe we can expect "considerable activity" this hurricane season.
On Tuesday, Dr. William Gray, a former Colorado State University climatologist, also revised his Atlantic Hurricane Season forecast upward, adding an additional hurricane to the count, bringing his prediction to 9 hurricanes this season.
In two previous forecasts, issued in April and June, Gray and his team at Colorado State predicted there would be 15 named storms this hurricane season. Gray's revised forecast now calls for 17 named storms; it includes the 5 we've already had this year.
The Atlantic hurricane season begins June 1 and runs through November 30.
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