Colorado State Forecasters Predict Four Hurricanes in September

By Robin Stringer

Sept. 2 (Bloomberg) -- Colorado State University forecasters today predicted ``well above-average'' tropical activity in the Atlantic for September, with four of five named storms becoming hurricanes.

``We expect the month of September to be quite active,'' Phil Klotzbach, the forecast's lead author, wrote in the report. The activity is predicted to be at about 190 percent of the September average, with two of the five storms predicted to become major hurricanes of Category 3, 4, or 5. A Category 3 hurricane has sustained winds of at least 111 mph (179 kph).

Activity in August was slightly above-average, mostly because of Hurricane Gustav, which went ashore yesterday in Louisiana, according to the forecasters.

To contact the reporter on this story: Robin Stringer in New York at rstringer@bloomberg.net.