Packed Hurricane Season Ahead

April 9, 2008 -- A noted hurricane researcher predicted Wednesday that rising water temperatures in the Atlantic will bring a "well above average" storm season this year, including four major storms.

The updated forecast by William Gray's team at Colorado State University calls for 15 named storms in the Atlantic in 2008 and says there's a better than average chance that at least one major hurricane will hit the United States.

An average of 5.9 hurricanes form in the Atlantic each year.

"The Atlantic is a bit warmer than in the past couple of years," said Phil Klotzbach, a member of the forecast team. "That is something we would like to keep an eye on."

Gray had projected seven hurricanes with three major storms in a preliminary forecast in December.

One of the most closely watched hurricane forecasters, Gray has been issuing hurricane predictions for more than 20 years. But he and others have been criticized in recent years for having forecasts that were off the mark.

Gray's team says precise predictions are impossible, and the warnings raise awareness of hurricanes.