U.S. forecasters predict 7th straight year of above-normal hurricane season

　　div classBodysc17zpet90 cdBBJodivpBy Erwin Sebap

　　pReuters The Atlantic hurricane season is poised to deliver another round of abovenormal storms for the seventh consecutive year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA said on Tuesday. pdivdivdiv classBodysc17zpet90 cdBBJodiv

　　pNOAA forecasters estimate 14 to 21 named storms, six to 10 of which will become hurricanes, and three to six of those that will develop into major hurricanes during the June 1 to Nov. 30 season. p

　　pA tropical storm brings sustained winds of at least 39 miles per hour 63 kph, a hurricane has winds of at least 74 mph and major hurricanes pack winds of at least 111 miles per hour and can bring devastating damage. p

　　pClimate change is warming ocean temperatures that have led to more destructive and damaging storms, forecasters say. This years warmerthanaverage sea temperatures in the Atlantic and Caribbean and trade wind patterns also augur for an aboveaverage storm season, NOAA said p

　　pNOAA‘s call for an aboveaverage storm season follows Colorado State University’s outlook, which last month predicted 19 named storms, nine hurricanes and four major hurricanes. p

　　pThe U.S. forecasters calculate a 65 chance of an abovenormal season, 25 chance of a nearnormal season and a 10 chance of a belownormal season. p

　　pAn average season generates 14 named storms and seven hurricanes. NOAA increased these numbers for a normal season last year after a recalculation, citing improved satellite monitoring and climate change.p

　　pLast years 21 named Atlantic storms cost about 80.6 billion in insured damages with Hurricane Ida, a Category 4 hurricane when it struck Louisiana, and which brought winds and flooding all the way to New York. It led to about 36 billion in losses. p

　　pForecasters said unseasonably high temperatures, warmerthanaverage seas that provide energy for tropical cyclones and the ongoing La Nina weather pattern that is expected to persist this season all influenced the outlook. p

　　p Reporting by Erwin Seba editing by Gary McWilliams and Marguerita Choyp

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