Three to Five Major Hurricanes Expected in Atlantic Basin

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center (CPC) has predicted an active and stormier hurricane season in 2011, between June 1 and November end.

About 3 to 5 major hurricanes are likely to occur in the Atlantic Basin, CPC said in a statement on Thursday.

“To date, five tropical storms – Arlene, Bret, Cindy, Don, and Emily, have formed in the Atlantic basin. Significant activity is expected for the remainder of the season,” it said.

The Atlantic hurricane region includes the North Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico. However, NOAA officials did not make an official seasonal hurricane landfall outlook.

“Predicting where and when hurricanes will strike is related to daily weather patterns, which are not reliably predictable weeks or months in advance,” it said.

Even though it is not possible to predict whether a given locality will be impacted by a hurricane this season, Emily tropical storm continues to move towards the U.S. where the last hurricane to make landfall was Ike in 2008, officials said.

CPC officials urged residents, businesses and government agencies of coastal and near-coastal regions to be prepared every hurricane season.

“It only takes one storm hitting your area to cause a disaster, regardless of the overall activity predicted in this outlook.”

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Intensifying Tropical Storm Bret over Atlantic Ocean Captured from Space (PHOTO)