Residents should hope for the best but prepare for the worst this hurricane season, according to Bermuda Weather Service director Mark Guishard.Two tropical storms, Alberto and Beryl, formed before the season began this year.The season has its official start on Friday.With Hurricane Awareness Week now underway, Dr Guishard noted that “Twenty-five years ago this September, Bermuda was caught out by Category One Hurricane Emily, whose poorly forecast timing and strength allowed for only minimal levels of warning of an unprepared population”.“The low-intensity classification of Emily did not reveal the tornadoes embedded within that circulation, which caused a high degree of damage,” he said.Although hurricanes can be better forecast and predicted today, Dr Guishard continued: “We are still faced with significant challenges in predicting the landfall regions of hurricanes on seasonal timescales, and Bermuda remains a small target in the shooting gallery of the Atlantic.”Recent predictions for the 2012 hurricane season indicate close to ordinary levels of activity — but the near miss of Category Four storm Ophelia, which brushed 100 miles to the Island’s east last year, show how a slight shift could have a great impact.Dr Guishard said: “For updates on the current conditions, forecasts, warnings and tropical advisories, please visit www.weather.bm, listen to 977, 9771, 9772 or 9773, view the Bermuda Weather Channel on WOW or CableVision or listen to Marine VHF Channel 2.”Useful website: www.bas-serco.bm.