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Canada  

Big year for hurricanes

The Canadian Hurricane Centre says warm water temperatures and a weak or non-existent El Nino will contribute to an above-normal hurricane season this year, with as many as 17 named storms.

Meteorologist Bob Robichaud says figures released today from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predict 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 Ocean actually make it into the centre's Canadian response zone, meaning anywhere from four to six storms could affect Canada this year.

He says one factor contributing to the active hurricane season is above-normal water temperatures in the Atlantic in the last six weeks.

Robichaud says there is a chance of El Nino conditions this year, but it's uncertain whether those conditions will be reached by peak hurricane season.

A strong El Nino — the warming of waters in the Pacific Ocean — can suppress hurricanes in the Atlantic.



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