Two Atlantic Hurricanes This Month, One Of Them Intense: Forecaster

SHAKE AND BLOW

AFP satellite photo of Katrina's beginnings.

Miami (AFP) Oct 03, 2005
Two hurricanes, one of them particularly intense, are expected to develop this month in the Atlantic, whose hurricane season already has been one of the most active and destructive on record, a top expert said on Monday.

"Our October-only forecast calls for three named storms, two hurricanes, one major hurricane," said William Gray, of Colorado State University, who is considered one of the leading hurricane forecasters.

Since the season started on June 1, there have been 18 named Atlantic storms, nine of them hurricanes. Three of those storms developped into major hurricanes that slammed into the US Gulf coast, including one - Katrina - that became the costliest US natural disaster on record after devastating New Orleans and nearby areas.

Gray said the high storm activity this year was partly due to warmer temperatures in the Atlantic, lower sea level pressures, lower vertical wind shear and moister air.

Meanwhile, forcasters issued a hurricane warning for Mexico's Gulf Coast as Tropical Storm Stan moved over the Gulf of Mexico and appeared set to gather strength before its forecast landfall on early Wednesday.

The Atlantic hurricane season ends on November 30.

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SHAKE AND BLOW

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