Pacific Hurricanes Expected to Be Tame This Year

The Pacific Ocean is not expected to produce massive hurricanes this season, according to models compiled by climatologists. While it is possible that several large tropical storms will develop, the overall intensity of the hurricane season is expected to be below the average set over the past years.

The predictions were announced today, May 24, by experts with the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC) and the Climate Prediction Center (CPC), a division of the National Weather Service.

However, the director of the CPHC, Ray Tanabe, is warning people not to take these predictions as a promise that nothing will happen to them. They still need to take the same precautions before the start of the hurricane season as before.

“Despite the forecast for a below-normal season, we encourage everyone to get prepared for the start of the season and stay on top of the forecasts as storms develop. We’ve had two quiet seasons in a row here in the Central Pacific, but don’t let your guard down,” he warns.