Philip Klotzbach, research associate with

Warmer water means more hurricanes because that is where they draw their strength.

But the warmer water is not due to global warming, Klotzbach said.

"If you look at global tropic cyclones, the number has gone down the last 10 years," he said.

"Statistically, if you have global warming, you would see it (the number of hurricanes) go up everywhere."

Instead, he said, the Atlantic Ocean undergoes cycles lasting 20 to 25 years in which the water warms and then cools off.

Currently, the Atlantic is in the midst of the warm cycle, with water temperatures rising above average in the past 11 years.

The Atlantic is more prone to these cycles because its water is saltier than that of other oceans, which results in more evaporation than precipitation.

Another reason that more hurricanes are expected in October is that the vertical wind shear is low. Vertical wind shear occurs when there are different wind directions and speeds at various heights in the storm. The higher the wind shear, the less likely a hurricane will form because the storm will blow apart.