Researchers increase number of predicted hurricanes for current season

Researchers are forecasting roughly 18 named storms to culminate in the Atlantic before the season's end. Data used by the team at Colorado State University originally suggested 15 storms, but rising ocean temperatures caused them to raise the estimated number. Since hurricane season started in June, only four named storms have occurred.

Tyler Barbero is a researcher with the Tropical Weather and Climate program at CSU. He says the team uses three methods to determine forecasts, and historical, mathematical and environmental data all point to this potentially being a strong hurricane season.

“The current Atlantic Sea surface temperatures are just really warm,” he said. “We've really never seen these… temperatures before. So that's one thing that's really causing our numbers to be bumped up.’

The Gulf Coast has experienced a number of major hurricanes over the last few years that strengthened rapidly in the warm Gulf waters. Barbero says because of these conditions, southern states will always be a prime target for tropical storms.

“The Gulf really has such a, I guess you could say, heat source of energy for hurricanes,” he said. “Hurricanes usually intensify when they approach the Gulf.”

The hurricane season lasts from now until November.