Wednesday, May 5, 2010

On June 1, hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean and surrounding areas will commence, signaling the potential for a tropical storm to develop at any time. After last year’s relatively quiet season, with only nine named cyclones, meteorologists are on-guard for increased activity over the upcoming summer and autumn. Hurricane season runs until November 30, and while storms are known to have developed at practically any time of the year, most tend to form within those bounds. The peak of hurricane season is considered to be within the month of September.

In 2009, a weather pattern known as El Niño in the Pacific Ocean and dust from Africa prevented many storms from developing. However, both of these inhibiting factors are relenting, and waters in some parts of the ocean are abnormally warm. As a result, forecasters are concerned that the 2010 season may be significantly more dangerous, comparing it to previous destructive periods, such as 1969, 1998 and 2005. In an exclusive interview, a Wikinews reporter talks with Colorado State University hurricane expert Dr. Phil Klotzbach on the upcoming hurricane season.