Australia Expects Active Cyclone Season

As the Atlantic hurricane season winds down (October is typically the last month when hurricanes form) the Australian hurricane season is only just beginning.

The season, which starts officially Nov. 1, is expected to be close to average, but more active than last season, according to the Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology. About 10 cyclones -- the term used to describe tropical storms and hurricanes in Australia -- are expected to form, based on the latest predictions, with at least one severe storm expected.

The Atlantic hurricane season was odd in that many tropical storms formed, but relative few hurricanes, but those hurricanes that did form were both strong and intensified rapidly. Conditions that lead to cyclone formation are specific to different regions, so there may be little correlation between the seasons in the northern and southern hemispheres -- with the exception of a La Nina pattern of cooling in the Pacific, which has an influence on weather patterns, including hurricane formation, worldwide.

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