Weak or non-existent El Nino to contribute to above-normal hurricane season
HALIFAX — Warm water temperatures and a weak or non-existent El Nino will contribute to an above-normal hurricane season this year, the Canadian Hurricane Centre said Thursday.
Bob Robichaud, a meteorologist at the Halifax-based centre, said figures released by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted 11 to 17 named storms, with five to nine expected to become hurricanes and two to four expected to become major in force.
Robichaud said an average of 35 to 40 per cent of storms that form in the Atlantic Basin actually make it into the centre’s Canadian response zone, meaning anywhere from four to six storms could affect Canada this year.
But Robichaud stressed: “It only takes that one storm to make it a bad year, regardless of the number of storms.”