By Peter Biello
Wilmington, NC – Hurricane Researcher William Gray says the number of storms this season will be lower than previously expected.
Gray is a professor at Colorado State University and has been researching hurricanes for more than 50 years.
He now predicts 8 hurricanes this year and 15 named storms. That's down from the 9 hurricanes and 17 named storms he predicted back in May.
The revised prediction comes after reports of dropping ocean temperatures and rising levels of West African dust in the air. Despite these factors, Gray says this year's hurricane should still be active.
The Atlantic is reasonably warm, the pressure patterns and other things around the globe look pretty good. I mean, good for storms, if you like storms.
Gray says September is traditionally the most active month for hurricanes, but expects storms to make landfall as late as November.