Well-known hurricane researchers based in Colorado are forecasting five tropical storms in the Atlantic this month, including four hurricanes, two of which will be major. Former Colorado State University climatologist William Gray said Tuesday that the new estimate would be almost twice as busy as an average September. Gray and his team have been issuing hurricane forecasts for 25 years. Tropical Storm Ike, which formed Monday, and Tropical Storm Josephine, which formed Tuesday, count toward the five storms in the September forecast. Hanna, which reached hurricane strength on Monday before weakening back into a tropical storm on Tuesday, counts toward the four hurricanes forecast for September, but it is not included in the month's five expected tropical storms because it initially formed in August. Three other Atlantic hurricanes have been recorded so far this season, including Bertha and Dolly in July and Gustav in late August.
