El Niño predicted to diminish, bringing 6 to 8 hurricanes to Atlantic in 2010 

Experts says that 2010 will be an "active" year because the El Nino that made 2009 so quiet is ending.

Instead of the nine well-behaved tropical storms that formed in 2009, hurricanes expert Gray and Klotzbach predict 2010 will feature as many as 16.

They think six to eight could churn through the tropical Atlantic Ocean next year, with as many as five maturing into major hurricanes.

Experts predict at least one of those major hurricanes (sustained winds of more than 111 mph) may strike the United States.