Weather experts are predicting a busy end to the already disastrous hurricane season - with possibly four more hurricanes to plague the region - possibly including Bermuda - this October.

Director of the Bermuda Weather Service Roger Williams said the busy hurricane season has been influenced by warmer ocean temperatures, extreme weather events and favourable storm brewing conditions to the south of Bermuda.

“This year has been an active season especially since August mainly because of higher sea temperatures in the tropical Atlantic and also the upper wind pattern being favourable for these storms to develop,” said Mr. Williams.

The ‘Bermuda High' or the ‘Bermuda Azores High' is a belt of pressure normally found over the Atlantic.

Mr. Williams said it has an influence over hurricane movement since its easterly winds steer potentially deadly storms and Hurricanes toward the Caribbean.

There's also no sign that people can relax this autumn as the season does not promise to wind down quietly.

“There's no sign of a let-up,” he said. “Come October that high tends to weaken a bit and maybe retreat further westwards. We can't be complacent in Bermuda because as it does that, there is more of a chance of the storm re-curving around the western end of the high and coming closer to these Islands.

“Historically in Bermuda, we get just as many storms in October as in September.”

Before the season began in June, experts predicted five or six hurricanes this year with the majority circulating in the Caribbean region. The surprise came when Ivan began to brew further south from Barbados.

“There's been a nice, easterly stirring current moving them along south,” said Mr. Williams. “Ivan was well south along the normal track for strong hurricanes going well south from Barbados.

“It's a rare event for a storm to go that far south and remain such a powerful force.”

One of the root causes of increased Hurricane activity is ocean temperatures which are two to three degrees Fahrenheit higher than in previous years.

Mr. Williams said that temperature increases cannot necessarily be blamed on global warming.

The general, and most widely supported theory for the change in scientific circles, he said, is a change in the patterns of ocean circulation, he said.

“There's been quite a bit of scientific research. The general concept is that ocean circulation - not just in the Atlantic - the (currents) which move in with the Pacific and the Atlantic, have slowly evolved over 20 or 30 years.

“Changes in the sea temperature are not necessarily due to global warming as such.”

A new tropical depression has developed more than 2,000 nautical miles to the east-southeast of Bermuda.

The depression, with winds of 30 knots, is expected to develop into a hurricane by Sunday.

The closest point of approach to the Island within the next 72 hours is 1,640 nautical miles to the southeast of the Island, but its current projected track shows it curving well to the east of Bermuda.