THE HARBOR COLUMN:Gulf hurricanes can bring Pacific clouds

Summer is officially here and the ocean condition looks great, so get out on the water this weekend. Who has noticed many familiar yachts returning recently to Newport Harbor from their southern wintertime ports like Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta?

The boats are being moved out of the hurricane zone, since the hurricane season started June 1. The NOAA Climate Prediction Center is projecting a 75% chance for an above normal hurricane season.

“For the 2007 Atlantic hurricane season, NOAA scientists predict 13 to 17 named storms, with seven to 10 becoming hurricanes, of which three to five could become major hurricanes of Category 3 strength or higher,” said retired Navy Vice Adm. Conrad C. Lautenbacher, undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator.

Hurricanes are tropical cyclones of low-pressure systems that develop in the tropics, and the systems spin counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere. Thus, systems developing in the Atlantic regions will travel westerly.

Luckily, we are protected from hurricanes coming north up our coast, like on the East Coast, because our water temperature is too cool for the storms to maintain their energy that is derived from warm ocean water.

The strength of the hurricane will quickly weaken in the colder waters or when it goes over land lacking the warm moisture from the ocean.

However, we can still feel the side effects from some hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico or the ones that have crossed over into the Pacific. These storms can bring us clouds, muggy humidity, rain and chance of thunderstorms, with Zeus throwing bolts of lightning down to Earth. Not to mention a southern swell that can make the ocean water like a washing machine.

Boaters should register now for the American Legion’s Old Glory Boat Parade. The theme is Patriots of Liberty and it is free to sign up for this fun annual event every Fourth of July. The boats will follow the same route as the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade.

Every Saturday, tune in to the No. 1 boating radio talk show in the nation, “Capt. Mike Whitehead’s Boathouse Radio Show” noon to 1 p.m. on KLAA 830 AM, which is Southern California’s 50,000 watt giant.

Safe Voyages.