From NPR:
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said today that the chance for a more active than normal hurricane season has increased since it issued its first prediction in May.
NOAA
is now predicting 12 to 17 named storms and five to eight hurricanes.
Two or three of those could become major hurricanes. In May, NOAA had
predicted 9 to 15 storms.
"We are
increasing the likelihood of an above-normal season because
storm-conducive wind patterns and warmer-than-normal sea surface
temperatures are now in place in the Atlantic," Gerry Bell, lead
seasonal hurricane forecaster at the Climate Prediction Center, said in a
statement. "These conditions are linked to the ongoing high activity
era for Atlantic hurricanes that began in 1995. Also, strong
early-season activity is generally indicative of a more active season."...MORE
From the Palm Beach Post: