More hurricanes on the way to the US

Expect five tropical storms and four hurricanes, two of them major
Associated Press

FORT COLLINS, Colo. -- Colorado hurricane researchers are forecasting five tropical storms in the Atlantic this month, including four hurricanes, two of them major.

Former Colorado State University climatologist William Gray said yesterday that would be nearly twice as busy as an average September. Gray has been issuing hurricane forecasts at Colorado State University for 25 years.

Tropical storm Ike, which formed Monday, and tropical storm Josephine, which formed yesterday, count toward the five storms in the September forecast, said Phil Klotzbach, a member of the research team and author of the September report.

Klotzbach said Hanna, which reached hurricane strength Monday before weakening to a tropical storm yesterday, counts toward the four hurricanes forecast for September. However, it isn't included in September's five expected tropical storms because it initially held that status in August.

See: Tropical quartet: 4 storms with more to come