Five hurricanes, two or three of them major, are expected to strike the U.S. coast in what could be an above-average 2010 Atlantic hurricane season. MIAMI, March 10 (Reuters) - Five hurricanes, two or three of them major, are expected to strike the U.S. coast in what could be an above-average 2010 Atlantic hurricane season, private forecaster AccuWeather.com said on Mar. 10.

"The forecast is calling for a much more active 2010 season with above-normal threats on the U.S. coastline," AccuWeather.com said in a statement.

The AccuWeather.com Hurricane Center team lead by Joe Bastardi forecast the season starting June 1 would see 16 to 18 tropical storms forming in total, 15 of which would be in the western Atlantic or Gulf of Mexico and therefore a threat to land.

"This year has the chance to be an extreme season," said Bastardi. "It is certainly much more like 2008 than 2009 as far as the overall threat to the United States' East and Gulf coasts," he added.

Bastardi predicted seven storms would hit land, five of them hurricanes and two or three of them "major landfalls."

Major U.S. oil installations are located in the Gulf of Mexico.

There were nine tropical storms in the Atlantic basin in 2009, three of which strengthened into hurricanes in what AccuWeather called "a year far below the average." In a typical season, there are 11 tropical storms, of which two or three affect the U.S. coast.

Among the factors contributing to the forecast above-average 2010 Atlantic hurricane season, Bastardi listed a rapidly weakening El Nino weather phenomenon, warmer temperatures in the ocean region where storms typically form, weakening trade winds and higher humidity levels.

Warm waters and high humidity levels favor the development of tropical storms.

The Atlantic hurricane season officially begins on June 1 and continues through Nov. 30.