Weather Facts: El Nino and Hurricanes

Tropical Storm Colin formed in the Gulf recently and hit Florida. It's the earliest third named storm ever and is a sign of things to come this season.

Experts say it could be the busiest hurricane season since 2012. NOAA is predicting a 70% chance of a near average tropical season in the Atlantic with 10 to 16 named storms and 4 to 8 of them becoming hurricanes.

We've been very fortunate that the U.S. coastline hasn't been hit by a major hurricane packing winds of at least 111 mph in the last 11 years.

Hurricane Wilma was the last major hurricane to make U.S. landfall. She slammed into Florida with 120 mph winds.

For the first time since July 2014 the Eastern Pacific is cooling. A sign that El Nino is wrapping up. This will impact hurricane season.

El Nino which is the warming of the Eastern Pacific has produced too much wind shear over the Atlantic. This hindered tropical activity the last few seasons.

Since El Nino is going away there should be less wind aloft over the tropics to allow more tropical development this summer.

It's only early June and we've already seen three systems. If the outlook comes true we could make it to the Paula storm.

The Gulf Coast always has to be on high alert first because most of the action happens in the Gulf and Caribbean in June and July.

During the mid to late summer the tropical threat shifts all the way out into the Atlantic.

The peak time for tropical systems goes from late August to early September.