Tropical meteorologist at Colorado State University Dr. William Gray has estimated six hurricanes will hit the Atlantic and Caribbean in 1995.

This could mean the worst hurricane season in five years.

However, the atmospheric science professor was unable to make local predictions.

His announcement came at the 17th annual National Hurricane Conference held in Atlantic City, New Jersey last week.

At the conference, attended by some 1,200 meteorologists, disaster experts, insurers and emergency management officials, Dr. Gray predicted one hurricane could hit the heavily developed New Jersey coast.

Hurricane season runs from June through November.

In an update to his November predictions, Dr. Gray also announced there would be 25 hurricane days (four six-hour periods when winds reach more than 76 miles and hour), two intense hurricanes and five intense hurricane days this year.

He put the hurricane disaster potential at 75.

Named storms will number 10 with 15 named storm days, he claimed.

And he projected the number of hurricanes in the Caribbean basin to be "near the mean probability for the last 45 years''.

Last June he predicted a "below average'' season with five hurricanes and 15 hurricane days for 1994.

There turned out to be seven named hurricanes in the Caribbean and Atlantic region last year.

Bermuda, however was spared the ravages of hurricane force winds when the only hurricanes of threat to the Island passed safely by, bringing only wind and rain in their wake.

In August Hurricane Chris swept by -- 110 miles east of Bermuda. In November, Hurricanes Florence and Gordon also passed safely by.

But according to a Reuters article Dr. Gray has a good track record.

Of the 57 hurricanes he has predicted over the past 11 years, there have been 54.

"In the past 11 years I've been doing this, two were busts, two were marginal, and the rest were pretty darn good,'' he said.

"I just make the best prediction I can and let the chips fall where they may,'' he told conference audiences.