This year could see fewer tropical systems gaining hurricane strength than in 2012, but a greater number of storms might intensify to Category 3 or higher, according to a recent forecast.

ImpactWeather — which serves as the weather department for businesses in fields such as oil and gas, petrochemical, healthcare, financial services and others — projects between 16-20 named storms for the 2013 hurricane season. In 2012, there were 19 named storms.

ImpactWeather expects seven-to-nine of the projected 2013 storms to reach hurricane strength, fewer than the 10 hurricanes in this past season. But the service says two-to-four storms could reach Category 3 strength or higher, compared to one storm in 2012 that reached major-hurricane strength.

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