JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The nation's lead hurricane forecasters say conditions have become more favorable for above-normal hurricane activity in the Atlantic Ocean and are predicting more tropical storms and hurricanes this season than they saw forming earlier this year.
El Nino typically suppresses Atlantic hurricane activity but now that its gone, we could see a busier season ahead, said Gerry Bell, lead seasonal hurricane forecaster at NOAAs Climate Prediction Center.
They now believe there could be 10 to 17 tropical storms and five to nine hurricanes, two of those major -- Category 3 or above.
So far this year there have been two named storms, one of which became a hurricane.
The hurricane season officially ends on Nov. 30.