Forecasters see less active '07 hurricane season

By Christopher Doering

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - This Atlantic hurricane season will be slightly less active than predicted, with up to nine hurricanes expected to form, the U.S. government's top climate agency forecast on Thursday.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said the 2007 season could produce between 13 and 16 named storms, with seven to nine becoming hurricanes and three to five of these classified as "major" hurricanes.

In May, NOAA predicted 13 to 17 named storms, with seven to 10 becoming hurricanes, of which three to five could develop into major ones with winds of over 110 miles per hour (177 kph).

"The conditions are ripe for an above-normal season," said NOAA meteorologist Gerry Bell. "The fact that we've seen no hurricanes so far means absolutely nothing."

The Atlantic hurricane season, which ends on November 30, typically peaks between August 1 and late October. In June and July, an average of only one or two named storms develop. So far this season, there have been three named storms in the Atlantic -- Andrea, Barry and Chantal.

NOAA's seasonal outlooks do not specify where and when tropical storms and hurricanes could strike. Still, forecasters said similar hurricane seasons have generated two to four storms that made landfall in the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf coasts.

Bell said the more narrow range of activity since May reflects the development of a weaker-than-expected La Nina and a cooler sea surface in the eastern tropical Atlantic.

La Nina, which means "girl" in Spanish, is an unusual cooling of Pacific Ocean surface temperatures and can trigger widespread changes in weather around the world, including a higher-than-normal number of hurricanes in the Atlantic.