Forecasters warn of more major hurricanes

U.S. meteorologists say conditions that spawned hurricanes Rita and Katrina still exist, creating the likelihood of another intense hurricane next month.

The weather researchers also warn of the likelihood of 10 to 40 more years of powerful storms, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.

"This has been the seventh hyperactive year since 1995," Stan Goldenberg, a meteorologist with the Hurricane Research Division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said. "Not every year is going to be like this one, but there's going to be plenty of active years to come."

The hurricane season officially ends Nov. 30, and some meteorologists predict two major hurricanes will occur during October, with one of them a Category 3, 4 or 5 storm. The weather scientists say the chance of such a major storm making landfall in the United States is estimated at 21 percent.

Goldenberg told the Times he would not be surprised if the Gulf Coast was hit again, because the same conditions that moved Rita and Katrina still exist.

"This season is not over," said Goldenberg. "If I was in the Gulf Coast right now, I'd prepare. Even a tropical storm could do a lot of damage."

Copyright 2005 by United Press International