Atlantic region can expect 9 hurricanes, 18 storms, USA Today reports

Santo Domingo.- Top forecasters predict an above-average 2013 Atlantic hurricane season, with 18 tropical storms forecast, of which nine will be hurricanes, USA Today reports.

It said a typical year, based on weather records that go back to 1950, has 12 tropical storms, of which seven are hurricanes. A tropical storm has sustained winds of 39 mph; it becomes a hurricane when its winds reach 74 mph.

“The forecast was released Wednesday morning by meteorologists Philip Klotzbach and William Gray at Colorado State University’s Tropical Meteorology Project. The Atlantic hurricane season starts June 1 and lasts until Nov. 30.”

USA Today adds that Gray’s team was the first organization to issue seasonal hurricane forecasts back in 1984; this is the team’s 30th seasonal hurricane forecast. “The team’s forecast in 2012 -10 named storms and four hurricanes- was far below what actually occurred: Last year, 19 storms formed, including 10 hurricanes.”