WASHINGTON (CMC):
A MAJOR United States-based weather watchdog yesterday warned of a very active hurricane season on the heels of a pestilent 2005 which saw 28 storms torment the Caribbean, U.S. and Central America.
For the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season, which begins on June 1, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting 13-16 named storms, with eight-10 becoming hurricanes.
Four to six storms could become major hurricanes of category three strength or higher, said retired Navy Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, the Undersecretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere.
"The impact from these storms extends well beyond coastal areas so it is vital that residents in hurricane-prone areas get ready in advance of the hurricane season," added Deputy Secretary of Commerce David A. Sampson.
On average, the north Atlantic hurricane season produces 11 named storms, with six becoming hurricanes, including two major hurricanes.
The NOAA said that warmer ocean water combined with lower wind shear, weaker easterly trade winds, and a more favourable wind pattern in the mid-levels of the atmosphere, were the factors that collectively would favour the development of storms in greater numbers and to greater intensity.
Warm water is the energy source for storms while favourable wind patterns limit the wind shear that can tear apart a storm's building cloud structure.
The hurricane season ends on November 30.
