HALIFAX - Canadian forecasters say the early arrival of a tropical storm off the U.S. east coast does not mean Eastern Canada should brace for a particularly active hurricane season.
Bob Robichaud of the Canadian Hurricane Centre is predicting an average number of hurricanes this year, despite the formation of tropical storm Alberto off South Carolina last weekend.
U.S. forecasters with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released their outlook Thursday for the six-month hurricane season, which begins June 1st.
They predict between 9 and 15 named storms this year, with one to three expected to become major hurricanes.
Robichaud says there are a number of factors that could change the forecast, including the arrival of El Nino in the late fall -- a warming of surface ocean temperatures in the eastern Pacific.
He says El Nino tends to be a suppressant to hurricane activity.
On average, one or two storms directly affect Canadian territory every year, with another two or three threatening offshore waters.
