NEW YORK (Reuters) - Private weather forecaster WSI Corp said on Monday its forecast for a relatively quiet 2009 Atlantic hurricane season remained unchanged due to cool ocean temperatures and wind conditions that favor fewer storms.
WSI's updated 2009 hurricane forecast released on Monday called for 11 named storms, six hurricanes and two intense hurricanes of Category 3 or greater. That was unchanged from its April and May forecasts.
The 2008 Atlantic hurricane season generated 16 named storms, disrupting U.S. oil and refining operations and damaging communities along the Gulf Coast.
"Ocean temperatures in the tropical Atlantic are cooler, relative to normal, than at any time since 1994," Dr. Todd Crawford, a WSI seasonal forecaster, said.
An enhanced wind shear, along with the relatively cool tropical Atlantic temperatures, will almost certainly result in a less-active season than last year, and could potentially result in an unusually quiet season, Crawford said.
The number of expected storms is in line with the 1950-2008 average, but is significantly lower than the more active seasons seen over the past 15 years, according to WSI.
"Any future changes to our forecast are more likely to be toward smaller numbers than larger numbers," Crawford said.
Its next hurricane update is scheduled for July 20.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30.
(Reporting by Rebekah Kebede; Editing by Walter Bagley)
