Forecasters predict above-average hurricane season

(CNN) - Experts are warning to be prepared for an above-average hurricane season this year.

The Tropical Meteorology Project team at Colorado State University released its Atlantic basin hurricane forecast Thursday.

Forecasters are predicting 19 named storms this season, which is five more than normal, and nine are expected to become hurricanes.

According to CSU, four of those hurricanes are predicted to be major hurricanes, reaching category three or higher.

Scientists say the increased activity is largely due to the natural phenomenon known as La Niña.

It creates colder than average ocean temperatures at the equator, which inhibits winds that prevent hurricanes from forming, making them more likely to develop.

Forecasters also say advances in satellite technology have enabled them to detect weaker storms they previously wouldn’t have known about – one reason we see more storms being named.