Severe 2006 hurricanes anticipated

Canadian and U.S. forecasters are warning the 2006 hurricane season, beginning June 1, will once again result in major storms including around five major hurricanes with winds of 180 km/h or greater. To date, the 2005 hurricane season is the most destructive on record. Damages resulted from a total of 27 named storms, 15 hurricanes and seven hurricanes.Although there is no indication of greenhouse gas buildup in the atmosphere, Dave Phillips of Environment Canada says there is a significant increase of hurricanes. He says global warming may be causing the increase in severity and intensity of the storms.”We are seeing stronger hurricanes – almost a 100% increase in category fours and fives,” according to Phillips. These larger storms, he warns, will stay intact longer, increasing the severity of the event.According to forecasters it is difficult to predict how many hurricanes will actually make landfall and if any will be strong enough to hit Eastern Canada.The events surrounding La Nina, a pattern of normal cold surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, he says, will impact the Atlantic hurricane season. This is because La Nina’s east-to-west winds will contribute to the creation of Atlantic hurricanes. La Nina has however been slowing down and will likely, according oceanographers from NASA, not affect Atlantic hurricanes.