2007 'very active' for hurricanes, warn forecasters

The 2007 Atlantic hurricane season will be far more active than usual with nine hurricanes, and the United States has an above-average risk of being hit by a major storm, a closely watched forecasting team said yesterday.

In an updated outlook, the Colorado State University (CSU) forecasters led by pioneer researcher William Gray said the June 1-November 30 season will produce 17 tropical storms. Of the nine hurricanes forecast, five will be major ones with winds over 177 kph.

If the prediction proves true, 2007 could mark a return to the destructive seasons of 2004, when four strong hurricanes hit Florida, and 2005, the year of Katrina, after a mild 2006 when only 10 storms formed.