Hurricane Forecasters Update Predictions (average, temperatures, storms, season)

[sunrico90]

With the peak of hurricane season now just weeks away, some forecasters are backing off on their prediction for an above average season.

WSI Corporation, a private forecasting firm has adjusted its outlook, lowering the predicted number of named storms from 15 to 14. WOW

WSI also now predicts six of those storms will become hurricanes. Their earlier forecast had eight. lets hope for zero

A meteorologist with the company says ocean temperatures are cooler than expected in the tropical Atlantic region, which forced the re-evaluation of their numbers.

[tallrick]

Looks like I will be right, again.

[sunrico90]

New forecast, let see if they get it wrong again....

Zero hurricanes for 2007
The new forecast calls for three named storms, two hurricanes and one intense hurricane in August; five named storms, four hurricanes and two intense hurricanes in September; and five named storms, two hurricanes and one intense hurricane in October and November combined.

Hurricane researcher William Gray lowered his 2007 forecast slightly Friday, calling for 15 named storms, with eight becoming hurricanes and four becoming intense.

The latest forecast put the chances of an intense hurricane hitting the U.S. coastline at 68 percent for the rest of this season.

Chances of an intense hurricane hitting the East Coast, including the Florida Peninsula, are 43 percent, Gray said. For the Gulf Coast from the Florida Panhandle to Brownsville, Texas, the probability is 44 percent.

The forecast also called for above-average risk of a major hurricane making landfall in the Caribbean.

[sunrico90]

Great news: While still predicting a busier than normal hurricane season, government forecasters on Thursday slightly eased their outlook, now calling for 13 to 16 named storms, including seven to nine hurricanes, with three to five of those intense.


NOAA's predictions follow in the footsteps of Colorado State University hurricane prognosticators Bill Gray and Phil Klotzbach, who last week reduced their seasonal forecast, calling for 15 named storms, including eight hurricanes, with four of those intense.

"I want to remind everyone that we just finished the first week of August - and we have had many an active season that didn't get started until later this month,"
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/media/photo/2007-08/31754466.jpg (broken link)