MIAMI, FL -- Federal forecasters are lowering their outlook for the Atlantic hurricane season.
The National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration on Thursday updated its forecast for the six-month season that continues through Nov. 30. They predict a near- to below-normal season as the calming effects of El Nino continue to develop. That means they expect fewer named storms: seven to 11 named tropical storms, of which three to six could become hurricanes. One or two of those hurricanes could likely to be major storms.
In May, they predicted a near-normal season with nine to 14 named storms, with four to seven hurricanes.
It's been a quiet season so far this year, with just one tropical depression and no named storms. However, the peak months of hurricane season are August through October.
