Hurricane forecasting: reducing future losses

Hurricanes are born of the sea, and they die over land. It´s at that brief moment when they cross between the two that they do the most damage. The worst part of a hurricane´s fury is over in hours, and its remnants subside in days. But a hurricane´s other impacts - its human losses and economic costs - begin long before it ever reaches land, and linger long after it´s gone. Predicting the number of hurricanes on the way is tied up in ocean temperatures and wind patterns, which evolve through the most active part of a hurricane season. That´s why experts mix meteorology with computer science and statistics to create their forecasts. The article looks briefly at some of these forecasts.