NOAA Predicts Average Hurricane Season

Ana is the season's first named system; Bill could morph into a hurricane

(NEWSER) - Ana and Bill are on the move, but meteorologists aren't worried just yet, the Miami Herald reports. Both tropical storms formed in the Atlantic today and are moving westward, but a possible US landing is 5 or more days away. The National Hurricane Center says they could strike anywhere from South Carolina to Cuba. “We want people to watch the tropics, but we don't want them to push the panic button,” said one official. More»

(NEWSER) - The star forecasters at Colorado State University are revising their predictions for the 2009 hurricane season down due to cooler ocean temperatures, Reuters reports. Between June and December, the Atlantic will see 12 tropical storms, six of which may develop into hurricanes. Two of those hurricanes could blow harder than 110 mph, making them Category 3 storms. The team originally forecast three major storms. More»

Rockier-than-average hurricane season predicted; 5 possibly severe

(NEWSER) - Federal storm watchers warned of a possible 16 named storms, and five major hurricanes, this year, the Miami Herald reports. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced a 65% probability that the hurricane season, which stretches for 6 months from June 1, “may very well be a busy” one. The prediction jibes with a forecast issued by university scientists. More»

Nate expected to hit Mexico, while Maria churns in Caribbean

(NEWSER) - Irene, Katia, and Lee all made not-so-nice headlines, and unfortunately there’s more where they came from: Tropical Storms Nate and Maria are currently taking shape in the Caribbean and Atlantic. Nate, formed in the southern Gulf of Mexico, is expected to drop anywhere from 2 to 8 inches of rain on parts of Mexico, and could start moving north by tomorrow—by which point it could also strengthen into a hurricane. More»

(NEWSER) - With a tropical storm bearing down on the Northeast, President Obama and Michelle Obama will leave Martha's Vineyard tomorrow, a day ahead of schedule, to ensure he arrives in Boston in time to deliver a eulogy at Ted Kennedy's funeral Saturday. If possible, they'll return to the Vineyard afterward; if they can't, they'll travel directly to Washington, Politico reports. More»