This year could see fewer tropical systems gaining hurricane strength than in 2012, but a greater number of storms might intensify to Category 3 or higher, according to a recent forecast.

ImpactWeather — which serves as the weather department for businesses in fields such as oil and gas, petrochemical, healthcare, financial services and others — projects between 16-20 named storms for the 2013 hurricane season. In 2012, there were 19 named storms.

ImpactWeather expects seven-to-nine of the projected 2013 storms to reach hurricane strength, fewer than the 10 hurricanes in this past season. But the service says two-to-four storms could reach Category 3 strength or higher, compared to one storm in 2012 that reached major-hurricane strength.

The service's meteorologist, Chris Hebert, bases the estimation on past-season averages, ocean-temperature trends and the absence of an El Niño influence from the tropical Pacific.

Mark Chambers, president of ImpactWeather, says, “An increasing number of companies, after seeing the effects of hurricanes like Katrina, Ike and Sandy, are implementing strategies to aid them in making the best business decisions possible when confronted by weather-related risk. With even more severe hurricanes on the horizon for 2013, preparedness and planning should be of paramount importance.”

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