Weather or Not: Heat, hurricanes and the long-range forecast

NEW YORK (WABC) -- We live in a warming world and this summer season could be a scorcher. Plus, when it comes to tropical storms and hurricanes, we are in for another year of action. How are the two connected?

Last year we experienced 30 named storms with 14 of them becoming hurricanes. So, where could we end up this year?

"The numbers may be down a little bit but they're still going to be above normal. We're still looking for about 16 to 20 named storms. The question is: are they going to be impacting the U.S. or are they going to be going out to sea, " said Paul Pastelok, senior meteorologist with Accuweather and lead long-range forecaster for the United States.

"We could see more recurving storms this year. So less activity going towards the Gulf of Mexico but more activity either recurving in the Atlantic... and heading toward the East Coast."

Also in this episode, we discuss what it takes to build a short-term versus a long-range forecast. Can we pinpoint weather events on the way, and how does climate change play a role in all of this?

"It's not just what's happening in your backyard that's affecting the long-range, it's also what's happening around the world", Pastelok said.