National Weather Service Forecasts Up to Nine Hurricanes in 2008

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) forecast for the six-month Atlantic hurricane season, which begins June 1, calls for 12 to 16 named storms, including six to nine hurricanes.

NOAA forecasts that two to five hurricanes will be Category 3 or higher (winds above 111 mph). NOAA’s forecasters this year added the category of “probabilities” to its prediction, acknowledging its long-range forecasts were way off in some years.

“The probabilities better convey that there is uncertainty in these outlooks,” said Gerry Bell, forecaster at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center in Miami.

Also new this year will be the use of remote-controlled airplanes by NOAA’s storm researchers. The planes will be able to penetrate the heart of Atlantic hurricanes to learn more about what makes these storms tick.