La Nina -- the Pacific Ocean cooling effect that stirs Atlantic storms -- won't be around for the next few months, announced the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
However, that doesn't mean we won't have hurricanes. Another La Nina-free summer came in 2005, which produced no fewer than 15 hurricanes, including Katrina.
The Associated Press reports that experts expect around seven to 10
Atlantic hurricanes by the November 1 end of the hurricane season.
Unfortunately, we're smack-dab in the middle of an active hurricane cycle that began in 1995; the last one stretched from the mid-1940s through the 1960s.
The origins of these cycles are complex and not completely understood, which makes it tough to answer the question that everyone's asking:
does climate change affect hurricanes? Wired just ran a quickie review of science journalist Chris Mooney's book on the subject. His take: the conflicting science is too close to call, but don't move to the
Atlantic coast if you can help it.
No La Nina This Summer, NOAA Says [Associated Press]
