Gulf could see calmer storm season

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Noah Brenner

 02 April 2009 18:13 GMT

This year’s Atlantic hurricane season will produce as many as 13 named storms, fewer than last year, while colder water in the Gulf of Mexico may ease the threat, WeatherBug predicted today.



WeatherBug, a private forecaster providing mobile and desktop applications, said the 1 June to 30 November season may produce six to eight hurricanes.

Last year, there were 16 named storms, eight of them hurricanes.

WeatherBug last year fell short in its outlook, forecasting 10 to 12 named storms, with four to six becoming hurricanes.

This year, spots of unusually cold water in the Gulf, home to more than a quarter of US oil production, are expected to damp storm development there, especially early in the season, said Mark Hoekzema, director of meteorological…

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