[BREAKING NEWS] NOAA Predicts 10 Hurricanes for '06 Season

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has forecast 10 hurricanes for the 2006 Atlantic storm season (which begins June 1), with four to six of those being "major" storms (Category 3 or higher) and an additional three to six named storms that don't reach hurricane strength.

The prediction is for a far less active hurricane season than last year, which spawned an unprecedented 28 named storms and 15 hurricanes (the NOAA had predicted that last year would be a busy season, but not that busy).  That, of course, included the colossally devastating storms Katrina and Rita, as well as Wilma, which at one point became the most powerful hurricane ever recorded.

Scientists have also warned that hurricanes could track farther north this year, threatening the Mid-Atlantic states and possibly even New England.  Overall, meteorologists are noting an overall increase in hurricane activity since 1995; most attribute this to a natural cycle that can run from 15 to 40 years, though some say that global warming is also a contributing factor.

Source:  MSNBC

Tags: weather, hurricanes