Three things you need to know today.
Hurricane season: The 2011 Atlantic hurricane season begins Wednesday with forecasters expecting an above-average year for named storms in the Atlantic basin, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Center.
During the season, which ends November 30, NOAA is predicting there will be 12 to 18 named storms. Storms are named when they reach tropical-storm status with winds of 39 mph or higher.
Of those storms, forecasters are predicting six to 10 will reach hurricane status, with winds of 74 mph or higher.
Three to six of the hurricane could become major hurricanes, with winds in excess of 110 mph.
"The United States was fortunate last year. Winds steered most of the season's tropical storms and all hurricanes away from our coastlines. However, we can't count on luck to get us through this season. We need to be prepared, especially with this above-normal outlook," NOAA administrator Jane Lubchenco said last month.
Arlene will be the name of the season's first storm to reach sustained winds of 39 mph, followed by Bret, Cindy, Don, Emily and Franklin. See the full list here.
Spelling bee: The Scripps National Spelling Bee begins with preliminary rounds Wednesday in Washington D.C.
This year's competition features 275 entrants from all 50 states, plus entrants from U.S. territories, Department of Defense schools and eight foreign countries.
Contestants are between 8 and 15 years old with 8-year-old Ethan Ruggeri of Locust Grove, Virginia, being the youngest entrant.
Wednesday's preliminary rounds are on ESPN3 beginning at 8 a.m. ET, Thursday's semifinals are on ESPN at 10 a.m. ET and Friday's finals begin at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Tornado vigil: The city of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, is holding a candlelight vigil on Wednesday night for the victims of the April 27 tornado that devastated a six-mile swath of the city.
The mile-wide tornado killed 41 people and destroyed or damaged 7,000 homes and businesses in the city of 90,000 people.
The event, to be held at the city's downtown Government Plaza, will include a performance by the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra and a video presentation, according to a report in The Crimson White.
“I think it’s going to be an emotional night for all of us... but is also symbolic in that we are going to turn a page,” Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox told The Crimson White.
I eat chorizo. I miss my home country of Panama.
And many Americans will perish. We need some form of population control.
yep, too many illegals here
Put your money where your mouth is.
I wish you'd go the hell back to Panama, you waste ofd leftover human protoplasm! You eat sh!t every day! God, I wish you would forget how to type, you ass.
We can create storms with weather modification here in the U.S
We can start thinning the herd with freackin Ellis!!!
When your heart feels a pain and your wee-wee makes a stain, it's hurricane, hurricane...when you get on the train and you see a falling plane, its hurricane, hurricane!
Please no rude comments, as this is a site is to warn and alert the people of things that may occur in the hear future.
Thanks!
Yeah, you work for CNN, right. What is a hear future?
Ass.
If you work for CNN (laughable) THEN DELETE THESE NASTY POSTS!!!!!!!!!!
And so it begins...
I have not forgotten how to type. Why don't I show you my middle finger to prove it?
For all those who say that our weather is not getting more and more extreme – that greenhouse gases are not harmful to the balance of nature on our planet, I've got a great way to prove you right: cut emissions, burn clean fuels, stop drilling etc, and when the weather doesn't improve as you believe it won't, go ahead and say "I told you so".
I think you want my banana harry
Haven't they predicted a busy season every year since Katrina?
Dude, Shut up. If you had any knowledge of weather, than you could be skeptical. Since you obviously don't, and I am not about to give you a lesson, just STFU.
By the way, Christopher is a really old school name....explains your knowledge. Did they have math when you were growing up, or was it called sand back then?
i just moved to Ft Lauderdale area, Hurrican is a serious thing, actually this not my first time here, I was in Melbourne when Wilma hit, scary lightening in the night and heavy rain and wind in the morning, nothing happened to my apt but i got flooded, so annoying. Hope nothing serious happen this year, I enjoy the weather here so far