Didn't Like the Last Hurricane Prediction? Try This One

The latest forecast for the 2010 hurricane season is mild. That's a big turnaround from previous prognostications, which called for a busier-than-usual summer-fall.

The National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center on Thursday predicted a 75 percent chance that the season would be less active than normal, with only a 5 percent chance of a more active than average year, according to the News Service of Florida.

The agency predicts a 70 percent chance of nine to 15 named storms during the 2010 season, including four to eight hurricanes. Of those, up to three are expected to be Category 3 or above.

The report said factors pointing to a less active season include the decrease in the El Ni effect, which results from warming tropical waters in the Eastern Pacific.

But, at the same time, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration foresees "an active to extremely active" season, with up to 23 named storms -- the most since NOAA began issuing predictions in 1998. NOAA cited an uptick in El Nino activity.

So, science has spoken... until the next forecast determines otherwise.