NOAA Predicts ‘Very Active’ 2006 Hurricane Season
After all the damage caused by tropical storms and hurricanes during 2005, it’s no wonder that the NOAA 2006 Hurricane Outlook made the front pages of the AJC, USA Today, and other major newspapers. Because conditions favorable to hurricane formation remain about the same as they did last year, the Climate Prediction Center is predicting another busy year for storms, with an 80% chance of an above normal season, and only a 5% chance of fewer than normal storms for the year.
While not predicting a repeat of 2005, the forecast calls for 13-16 named storms, 8-10 hurricanes, and 4-6 major hurricanes. This compares with a 2005 prediction of between 12 and 15 tropical storms and between 7 and 9 hurricanes, with between 3 and 5 major hurricanes. However, the Weather Service notes that some specific factors that contributed to the large number of storms over the past few years cannot be predicted, and may appear again this summer.
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