Forecasters revamping hurricane outlook at peak of season

GULF OF MEXICO — U.S. government forecasters are updating their Atlantic hurricane season outlook, just as the peak period for hurricanes begins.

In May, forecasters said they expected three to six major hurricanes from an above-average season. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will update those predictions today.

The six-month Atlantic hurricane season began June 1, but the peak period for hurricanes runs from August through October.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Emily is expected to make landfall on Haiti’s southern peninsula after dawn today and dump torrential rains across a country where more than 600,000 people still live without shelter after last year’s earthquake.

Emily is the season’s fifth named storm. Last week, Tropical Storm Don fizzled to a tropical depression just before crossing the Texas coastline.