How busy will Atlantic hurricane season be? Depends on who wins unusual battle of climatic titans
By SETH BORENSTEIN
AP Science Writer
Two clashing climatic behemoths, one natural and one with human fingerprints, will square off this summer to determine how quiet or chaotic the Atlantic hurricane season will be. An El Nino is brewing and the natural weather event which warps weather worldwide dramatically dampens hurricane activity. But at the same time record ocean heat is bubbling up in the Atlantic, partly stoked by human-caused climate change, and it provides boosts of fuel for storms. This scenario hasn’t happened before. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, like most forecasters, are calling for a near normal season.
