Much to the relief of the Gulf Coast (especially those still rebuilding after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita), hurricanes didn’t really make the news in 2006. As the hurricane season 2006 begin last June, it was predicted there would be 13 to 16 named storms, 8-10 hurricanes, and 4-6 major storms.
Thankfully, not a single hurricane hit U.S. shores. Why was the forecast off?
El Nino…. (seems like everything weather-related can be blamed on abnormal warm waters in the central Pacific Ocean). The El Nino effect increases westerly winds and steers hurricanes away from the East Coast where they eventually die out in the cooler waters of the Northern Atlantic.
What is interesting about 2006-2007 El Nino event is that it was unexpected and had a rapid effect on weather worldwide. In fact, it was so rapid that it caught the highly-skilled hurricane forecasters off guard.
The residents of New Orleans definitely appreciated El Nino this year, but meteorologists warn that we are still in a very active hurricane period. Furthermore, the planet has been experiencing some of the warmest years on record. This means that the Gulf of Mexico will be a very warm body of water and a ripe area for hurricanes to gain incredible strength.
Stay tuned for more on hurricanes, especially as the 2007 hurricane forecasts are released.
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Posted by Tim Roth, author of the political blog Think Anew and Act Anew
Source:
“2006 hurrican season bows out quietly”, CNN.com article
