NOAA Trims Forecast for Busy Hurricane Season

U.S. government forecasters are slightly reducing their prediction for a busy Atlantic hurricane season.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration updated its hurricane season forecast Thursday, trimming back the number of hurricanes they expect this year to between six and nine.

The forecast calls for three to five of those hurricanes to be major, with winds greater than 110 mph (175 kph).

Forecasters say there remains a 70 percent chance that the season will be busier than normal. A normal year has 12 named storms, six hurricanes and three major storms.

Hurricane season starts in June and runs until the end of November. So far, there have been four named storms. The updated forecast calls for 13 to 19 named storms this year.