Hurricane forecasters in the U.S. now say they’re bracing for a more active season than originally expected, thanks to rising ocean temperatures and shifting wind patterns.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released an updated forecast Thursday, calling for 12 to 17 tropical storms, with five to eight hurricanes.

Two to three of those hurricanes could be considered major events.

News 95.7 meteorologist Richard Zurawski says there’s no way to know how many could affect Atlantic Canada, but notes we typically get some impact from passing storms.

“Over the next couple of weeks, it looks like with the proliferation of storms, the chances are pretty good that we’ll end up with something moving into our neck of the woods,” Zurawski told News 95.7 Friday morning. “There’s always the prospect of having to deal with a hurricane and even a major hurricane.”

Major hurricanes have wind speeds of 178 km/h or higher.

Wind patterns conducive to storm formation and warmer-than-normal sea temperatures prompted NOAA forecasters to adjust the prediction, just as the season enters its peak.

Lead seasonal hurricane forecaster Dr. Gerry Bell said strong West African monsoons have been helping to give birth to major Atlantic tropical storms.

However NOAA is also watching El Nino, which could dampen the severity of the hurricane season towards its end. The season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.

“Now we have a high confidence that El Nino will develop this month or next, but also, that its influence on the hurricane activity will be delayed until later in the season,” Bell told the Associated Press.

In May, forecasters had predicted nine to 15 tropical storms, with as many as four to eight storms strengthening into hurricanes.

So far this year, there have been four tropical storms and two hurricanes.

Category 1 hurricane Ernesto made landfall on Mexico’s Caribbean cost Tuesday. It has since been downgraded to a tropical storm, but it is gaining strength over the Yucatan Peninsula and could reach hurricane status again.