FACTBOX-Forecasts for 2009 Atlantic hurricane season

Aug 4 (Reuters) - The Colorado State University storm
research team cut its forecast for the 2009 Atlantic hurricane
season on Tuesday, predicting that 10 tropical storms will form
and four of those will strengthen into hurricanes.

It was the third time the CSU researchers have trimmed
their forecast for the current season.

All the major hurricane forecasters have said in their
predictions that the 2009 season will be less active than last
season, which produced 16 storms.

So far there have been no tropical storms in the Atlantic
season that began June 1 and runs through Nov. 30. The
following are the latest predictions for 2009:
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Tropical Storms Hurricanes Major Hurricanes
--------------------------------------------------------------
CSU 10 4 2
Planalytics 10 6 1-2
WSI 10 5 2
NOAA 9-14 4-7 1-3
TSR 12.6 6.5 2.8
AccuWeather 10 6 2
WRC 7 4 --
UK Met 6 NA NA
--------------------------------------------------------------

NOAA (U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
issued its pre-season forecast on May 21.

CSU (Colorado State University team led by William Gray and
Philip Klotzbach) forecast issued Aug. 4. Updates due Sept. 2,
Oct. 1.

TSR (London-based Tropical Storm Risk) forecast issued Aug.
4.

WSI Corp, based in Andover, Massachusetts, issued forecast
on July 20. Update due Aug. 24.

AccuWeather forecast issued May 14.

WRC (Houston-based Weather Research Center) forecast issued
April 6.

The UK Met Office issued a forecast on June 18.

Planalytics issued a forecast on May 27.
(Reporting by Jane Sutton; Editing by Pascal Fletcher)