Washington - US weather experts predicted Thursday that there would be fewer Atlantic hurricanes than initially expected this year.

There is now a 70 per cent chance of seven to 11 named storms, of which three to six could become hurricanes, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said. One to two of those could be major storms, category 3 or higher, with winds above 178 kilometres per hour.

NOAA forecasters said that El Nino - warmer than normal waters in the Pacific Ocean that can affect atmospheric conditions - is having a calming effect on the hurricane season.

"El Nino may mean fewer storms compared to recent seasons, but it doesn't mean you can let your guard down," said Dr Jack Hayes of the National Weather Service. "Hurricanes can strike during El Nino."

There has not been a named storm so far in the Atlantic storm season, which began on June 1 and ends Nov 30. This is the longest period without a named Atlantic storm since 1988, Bloomberg news reported.

NOAA's May estimate called for nine to 14 named storms, with four to seven that could become hurricanes and one to three of those becoming major hurricanes.

NOAA considers an average Atlantic hurricane season to consist of 11 named storms with six hurricanes and two strong hurricanes. A storm is named when its winds reach
100 kilometres per hour.

According to the list compiled by NOAA, the season's first named storm will be called Ana.(dpa)